The Eternal Question
by Drixxy
Summary: “You’re all alone,” she responded, just as lifeless. “I’m faster than you,” I retorted. “I’m cunning.” “You’re short.” “You’re a dog. Woof.” There was a smile. I growled. “Dogs bite.” “You’re getting nowhere.” “No, I’m stalling.” I smiled.
1. Too Quiet

**Alright, here it is. My first InuYasha fan fiction. Just a warning, this fic probably won't have much fighting in it. Like... battles. I'm terrible at writing them, and the story only calls for a few. Anyway, have fun. PS. This will be pre-Rin. It's got my own little explanations as to why he's so opposed to caring for humans :D Also, Sesshomaru is the main character, and I don't feel the need to chance points of view. If I don't label who the PoV is, it's mostlikely in his.**

ooo Sesshomaru ooo

The eternal question: Can a demon really love a human?

The answer.........

Yes.

Only the gods above know why...

ooo

I traveled alone for decades. Centuries even. The trails were quiet... I kind of miss that. Once Jaken joined me on my endless adventure, it was like a live-in conscience. It's tolerable. Annoying, but tolerable. That green impish creature can come in handy when you need an ego boost, but nothing more. You can't even trust him to find your father's resting place.

"My Lord... Don't you think we should rest?" The yokai pondered, tapping his head with his staff.

I kept quiet, scanning the area. We had no place to stop, even if I wanted to. The forest was empty, more than normal. Demons normally roamed this forest like they would raid a village for lunch. This is just insanity; it's too quiet. "Jaken."

He looked up towards me, his eyes bright. "Y-yes, my Lord?"

I stopped walking. "Something's not right."

"What do you mean? Everything is perfectly fine."

"No." I looked to my left. "The forest is too silent. Something is wrong."

"I don't feel any noticeable different. I-I mean, sure, it's quiet, but--"

I silenced him, "Let's go." I continued walking on. The yokai was tired, he even admitted it himself, but I had other reasons for stopping. Something was different tonight. I could feel it in my bones.

Jaken sighed, shook his head, and loyally followed along.

"The nearest village would take through the night to reach, correct?"

He sounded confused as he spoke, "Yes, Sire, but--"

"Good. We'll be there by day break. First... to get out of this damned forest." I looked up, stepping carefully. The breeze was nice; chilling, but nice. The cold air always felt nice when I needed silence. I could focus on the biting feeling nipping at my skin, rather than Jaken's groveling. Other good distractions were the stars. Their beauty astounds me, as it should others. Most people don't pay attention to the beauty of the nature that surrounds them. I just happened to have enough free time on my hands to watch certain things like that.

I quickly glanced at Jaken once before picking up speed. I ran through the trees, changing directions multiple times. "Master, wait!" I could almost hear him yell as I ran off. I rolled my eyes at the creature and continued on.

Finally, a trail. The breeze was stronger here. Colder as well. It was much more comfortable, and not as sporadic. I could smell hot meals being cooked, fires burning, and even a bit of human blood being spilt. Blood: an all too familiar smell. And, it was human blood, no less. "Typical."

I could hear the voices of children and women, men and their wives, families... I've heard these sounds millions of times; it's not even funny anymore. I used to laugh and snicker, hearing them fight, laugh, sing...

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord... Sessho...maru!" Him and his small lungs. Sometimes I wonder how he's even considered demonic.

I stopped walking, glancing over my shoulder. Jaken was running as fast as he possibly could to catch up to me, yet he still had a ways to go. I sighed, looked straight ahead, and continued walking. Those voices were so far away; I was determined to find them before day break.

The night went by incredibly slow after Jaken caught up with me. He kept going on about something like... paranoia, being exhausted, and annoyance. You tend to learn not to pay attention to things that don't really matter over the years. If they're pointless, I rather not waste my time contemplating them.

"Finally."

"Milord?"

The village was in sight, and that chilling feeling from the forest was clinging to me like wet clothing. It wasn't a demonic aura, no. In fact, it was a pitiful feeling of emptiness. Almost depressing...

"Are we stopping there?" he asked, his voice almost overjoyed. "Oh, thank you, Lord Sesshomaru! I'll never be able to repay you for this."

I looked at him. "You've said that about quite a few things, Jaken. Pick your battles."

"...Y-yes, I'm sorry. Thank you, really."

I looked from him, down towards the ground. "Let's hope they're lenient on demons," I told him, a silent laugh.

The imp ran ahead of me towards the village like his life depended on it. If I never see a loyal servant like him again, it'll be too soon. He puts me before himself, but when I do something that benefits him...

I watched the horizon as I walked off again. The sun was barely peeking over the trees, coating the land in its warm rays. I subconsciously brushed my hair behind my ears and stepped forward, down the hill.

This village was quaint. Even this early in the morning, the men were out in the fields making the plants, ponds, and crops more beautiful than they already are. The younger kids were helping their mothers with the house work, and just about everything else. It felt open and welcoming.

"Look, mama, a demon!" a young girl giggled.

"Sweetie, come back in side," she urged her child and quickly gave me a stern look.

I let out a held breath, and continued on. More children had the same reaction as their parents dragged them back into their respective huts. I stayed quiet, resisting the urge to ask everyone what was so wrong about being a demon.

Jaken rushed back up to me, staff in hand. "Sire! I have found someone willing to help us. Come quickly."

I looked at him, and followed his instructions. We ended up at one of the larger homes, and older man and three women standing out front, waiting for us. "I hear you're interested in staying here. Our village doesn't take to kindly to demons, I'm afraid..."

Jaken sighed.

"I am aware of that." I nodded. "All I ask is a place to stay for tonight and the following."

I swear he even stuck his nose in the air at my request. "Well..."

As the man continued speaking and explaining how this is an impossible request, I looked around. Two of the three women were standing by the elder man's side, formally dressed and awaiting an order. The other didn't look so fortunate. She was dressed in commoner's clothing and looked like she was doing some work around the home. She seemed like a servant; more so than other women I've seen. I've known the head of the house to typically punish those who are particularly defiant. Maybe she was just unfortunate enough, not favored like the others...

"I'm sorry. I don't understand what's so impossible about having a room for two nights." Jaken insisted.

I growled, "We'll be leaving now, though I'm not sorry for wasting your time." I turned away and began to leave.

A feminine voice added in, "I can take you two in."

When I looked to the women by the man's side, the two of them looked shocked; it wasn't either of them. That must mean it was the younger one, the servant child.

"Oh, thank you, young lady. Your kindness will be greatly rewarded." Jaken bowed respectively.

I looked to the young lady, who was now standing up to brush herself off. Her hair was long, like my own, and a surprising light brown. Her eyes were even more startling, being a sparkling silver. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," she sighed, "I don't have to worry about the others looking down on me for housing a demon. I'm already an outcast."

Jaken smiled. "Well, your compassion won't go unnoticed."

She pushed her way past the old man. "Follow me. I'll take to you my house."

Strange... I would've assumed she lived here with him and the others, considering she was doing some work around the place.

She took us to a small house, but made us wait outside for a moment. "This is nice. What a lovely young woman, as well!" Jaken smiled.

"Incredible."

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

"She seems to have no fear for demons. No hatred, no grudges, nothing..."

Jaken nodded. "I have to admit it's quite odd, but it's in our favor. We have a nice place to rest for a few nights. Why question it?"

"Because it isn't right. Humans aren't supposed to take such a liking to demons. Look where it got my brother! He's still pinned to that damned tree..."

"I understand your reasoning, Sire, but--"

"No 'buts,' Jaken." There was no point in going any further into the subject. It didn't matter, anyway.

As we waited, I could hear a bunch of noise rattling around in the young woman's hut. Jaken looked at me, and I sighed. I knew she'd asked us nicely to wait outside, but I went in anyway. "...Miss?"

She looked up from a large pile of supplies - which looked like a bunch of work tools, gardening tools, clothes, and sheets - and smiled nervously. "Excuse me... The villagers store things here."

I furrowed my brow, questioning her sanity silently.

"Oh! No, no, no. This... isn't my home. Don't worry."

I shook my head and turned back out the door. Jaken was waiting breathlessly.

"Is something a matter?"

"No. She's just searching for something."

"Uh... hm..."

The girl bounced out of the hut carrying a set of sheets. "Sorry..."

"You've no need to apologize," I told her.

She nodded, then ushered us off once more. "I don't have much room, but as long as you don't mind a hot meal and some mild conversation, you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like."

I cringed at 'mild conversation.' I'm a quiet person. I could live without talking.

"Thank you," Jaken bowed.

We all walked into her home, finding it to be rather small, yet nice. She had a small hole smashed into the floor, which now had a nice plant growing out of it, and a fire pit in the middle of the room, not lit, with a pot hanging over it. Bowls, a ladle, and a few other utensils were sitting by the pit as well.

"Make yourself at home."

I have to remember I'm not stopping for my own selfish reasons. Jaken would've nagged me otherwise, and there was no way I was going to continue roaming in that forest. "Thank you."

"Now, I have several things to do today. You're welcome to help out, if you'd like."

_Strange_, I thought_, the young lady seems to treat me as if I'm no different from the others._

The young woman walked out of the hut after setting the two sheets in a corner. I assumed they were for us.

Jaken fell to the floor and was asleep before I could say anything. Looks like he needed to rest more than I thought. I sighed and leaned against the wall.

What is it about this human that makes her different from the others? What is it about her mentality that makes it impossible for her to fear demons? Why was everyone else afraid to even be near us, while she's willing to give us lodgings? Hmm...


	2. She's Different

I left Jaken to his own resources in the hut. I'm sure he won't need much; he never does. I didn't so much want to follow the girl, but I felt the need to roam. I've roamed trails and forests for centuries, and being cooped up in a small home doesn't seem like an option.

I've seen how the other villagers act around demons. I know it isn't the best option to walk around, seeing their scowling faces, but I need to be free. These humans are only in my way, and if it wasn't for the fact that one of their own is providing our lodgings, they would be long dead by now.

"Oh, sir!" the young woman giggled, seeing me. "I'm glad you decided to join me. Do you mind if you help out a bit?"

I raised a brow at her. "I rather not."

"Come on, it's not that hard. All you do is pick up a basket and fill it with things I can use in the stew." She ran over to the side of a hut, grabbed a basket, and set it in my right hand when she ran back over. "I'll make things easier for you. You hold the basket and I'll fill it up, 'kay?"

I squinted my eyes. "...I'm sorry, but--"

"It's not that bad," she laughed. "Now, come on." She grabbed my free hand, gently pulling me along. The other women had already begun harvesting; setting the produce in neat piles along side the crops. All Mai had to do was walk by the piles and grab what she needed. How convenient.

I sighed. _Jaken has it easy..._

The young woman hummed, but quickly stopped. She seemed startled by something. "I'm sorry... I never caught your name."

"Sesshomaru," I told her plainly.

"Sesshomaru...," she giggled. "I'm Mai."

"Mai."

"Mai Kuroki," she smiled and continued walking. "So... Why are you here?" she asked, letting my hand go to grab a carrot.

When she said 'mild conversation,' I assumed she meant 'hi's,' hello's' and 'goodbye's.' She meant '_conversation_.' "We're just stopping for a few nights. It's no special occasion."

"Oh," she breathed. Maybe she realized I'm not the type to talk much?

"You seem so young," I broke the silence. "Are you alone here?"

She nodded, dropping a few more carrots into the basket. "My parents died a while back. They were killed in a raid..."

"Hm."

"I've been alone ever since, really."

"I can imagine demons going off on their own at your age, but you're only human..."

Mai smiled. "I'm not that young. I'm just short," she laughed. "I'm eighteen, sir."

I let out a quick breath. The young woman didn't look eighteen. She acted so childish, as well. I assumed if she was that old, she would've been married off by now, but her parents did pass... Most women in her position would've married a wealthy man who was able to support her. With her parents gone, at what I assume was a terribly young age, I'm surprised she's survived this long. This girl has a will to live, and I have to admit... I admire that. "Are you positive?"

She stopped walking. "...About what, sir?"

"Never mind," I shook my head. "It isn't important."

She laughed, "If you're sure, Sesshy!"

I opened my mouth to say something, but heard her pet name - Sesshy. Sesshy? What the hell kind of name is that? **((LOL I had to do that.)) **"Excuse me?" I cocked my head to the side.

"You have to forgive me. I pick up nicknames like their second nature... Just tell me if one doesn't suit you."

I nodded. "If you insist." Personally, I wish the girl would keep quiet. Though, if she insists on calling me that odd name, by all means, let her. I don't pay attention to senseless chatter, anyhow.

She smiled, and continued on.

Those eyes of hers... I've only seen those on demons. I've seen humans born with gray, even a crystal blue, but never a silver that sparkled without sunlight... They remind me of my own ochre eyes, though hers seem much more striking...

"I'm sorry, but what do you like in your stew?" Mai glanced over her shoulder, placing potato after potato into the basket.

I closed my eyes for a moment, opening them again, looking away from her. "I don't eat human food."

She looked at me, confused. She soon shrugged and finished putting the last potato into the basket. "How about your companion?"

She must mean Jaken. "He would be grateful, though he could surely live without a meal."

"No! As long as you two are in my home, you'll eat a hot meal, you understand?" she insisted.

I raised my chin. "Like I told you before, I don't eat human food."

She nodded, "I understand, but your friend shall eat either way!"

I almost smiled, seeing her persistence.

We collected a total of five different vegetables: celery, carrots, potatoes, chives, and onions. She mentioned something about getting her ration of meat, as well. Either she is one hell of a cook, or she just knows how to waste food.

Mai smiled. "Sesshy... Do you mind helping me out?"

"Oh, what the hell. I've done this much." I shrugged.

She smiled, her eyes closed. "Oh, thanks! Okay. You take this back to the hut, I'll come back with the meat, 'kay?" She nudged the basket, pointing towards another hut.

I raised a brow, but nodded anyway, making my way back to the hut. Surely Jaken would have awaken by now.

The other villagers' attitudes towards me haven't lightened up much. And being seen with the outcast didn't exactly help my case, either.

"Jaken, I--" I pushed through the hut, but stopped, seeing the green yokai on the floor, just as I'd left him. "That young woman is odd," I spoke, seemingly to myself. "So childish and immature..."

"Maybe this has something to do with your brother, Lord InuYasha..." Jaken rolled over.

"Do not speak of my brother in my presence. That mutt isn't worthy of the recognition... Though the girl sure is immature. I highly doubt it's linked to him." Plus, there isn't a chance in hell he was let off that tree. He couldn't have set this up.

Jaken sighed. "Just because one is childish doesn't mean it's another's doing, is that what you're saying, Sire?"

I nodded. "InuYasha is in no way connected. This girl is just... different."

"Maybe she has a mental impairment?" Jaken sat up, tapping his skull.

I growled, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with that girl!" I dropped the basket.

"Wrong with who, sir?" Mai walked into the hut, carrying a thin paper package held closed with twine. I assumed it was her meat rations. With the smell of blood extremely thick by her hands, my suspicions were confirmed.

"No one," I retorted, sniffing loudly with my nose.

Jaken looked at me, his eyes squinted. "Lord Sesshomaru...," he shook his head.

"_Lord_ Sesshomaru, huh? What a title," she laughed. "Little guy, do you think you could help me out?" she leaned over, trying to meet Jaken's gaze.

"Well, I nev-- Young lady, you shall treat me with respect! My name is Jaken, and I shall be called as such!" he hit her twice with his staff. I heard a tiny squeak from the young girl as she closed her eyes tightly.

Mai stood up straight, her face a bright red. "Sorry, sir...," she winced, rubbing her skull. She must have trouble with authority figures looking down on her. Knowing her mentality, they probably treat her as a young child. Physical discipline is common for young children. Mai...

"Jaken, don't hit her."

Mai and Jaken both looked towards me.

"Uhm... If you wish, L-Lord Sesshomaru..."

Mai looked at me for a few moments more, slightly puzzled. This time, she didn't shrug it off. She just calmly walked over to the middle of the room, sat down, and began untying the small package of meat. No little smile, no laugh, and no skip in here step... Maybe no one's ever stood up or looked out for her?

Jaken shook his head. "If you need me, milord, I'll be outside. The fresh air should do me some good." He affirmed himself with a nod and left.

"I'm sorry. I caused trouble, didn't I?" Even her voice made her sound like a young girl, at least four years younger. You'd swear she was but fourteen, though she says she's older...

I shook my head. "You've no need to apologize," I told her simply. "Jaken has simply never been under these circumstances."

She raised an eyebrow. "But it's my fault... I truly am sorry, Sesshy."

For some odd reason, I smiled. For the first time in a long while, I smiled. And this time, it wasn't for some sadistic reason.

Mai smiled as well. "Happiness is a good color on you, Lord Sesshomaru," she nodded.

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the obstruction on my lips. 'Lord Sesshomaru' sounded so foreign coming from her. "Please. Stick to your pet names, Mai."

She stared blankly at me for a moment, and then smiled. "As you wish, Sesshy," she giggled, mimicking Jaken. She proceeded in opening the package of meat, but pushed the palms of her hands to the ground. Her gaze shot up towards mine. "Do me a favor. Get your little green friend to fill this up with water for me." She lifted the pot off the stand above the fire pit and held it out for me. "Tell him not to skimp out on the water, no matter what the villagers say!"

I reached out for the pot, took it, and left.

"Oh, my, Lord Sesshomaru! I'm surprised to see you out here." Jaken waved, though he was only within arm's reach of me.

I didn't respond to his half-inquiry. "Fill this up."

He sighed. "Master, why are you helping this insolent child?" I turned to walk back inside, but he spoke once more. "I fear for you, milord. She'll bring nothing but trouble!"

"Let me worry about that, Jaken." I continued back inside.

"Thanks so much, sir," Mai laughed. She had already began ripping the meat apart, setting the prepared pieces in a pile. As she tore a large piece off, she looked at it for a moment, thinking. "I know... you don't eat human food, but it's not cooked yet," she held it out for me, a crooked smile on her face.

You know, it's entirely true. Humans are advised against eating too much raw, red meat. Raw fish is considered a delicacy, but raw meat is rare.** ((Rare as in uncommon, you silly, meat-eating humans xD))** "Don't worry about me, Mai."

She pulled it back, close to her chest. "If you're absolutely sure. I don't want you going hungry..." She tore a bit off of the chunk and ate it herself. She placed the rest among the other chunks of meat.

I shook my head lightly, and walked towards a wall. I turned around, sat down, and let out a deep breath. I pulled one knee close to my chest, stretching the other leg flat out on the ground. It was still early in the day, even if we had wasted a good three hours. It wasn't even noon, yet the girl was already preparing what I assumed to be dinner. Hm.

Good. I get some time to rest myself, as well.

Jaken hobbled in, carrying a pot almost as big as him, filled with water. "I don't see why you need this, Lord... Sesshomaru..." He set the pot down with a grunt.

"He doesn't need it, silly. I do!" Mai giggled, tearing off another piece of meat.

Jaken grumbled. "I told you, my name is Jaken, you are to--"

"--Address you as such, blah, blah, blah." Mai held up her animal blood-covered hand, forming it like a mouth as it spoke. "I get it, alright?"

"Why you..."

"Jaken," I chided, my eyes closed.

He made a quiet exit, now that I had said something.

"Silly..." Mai continued tearing the meat apart. Once she had the entire thing mutilated, she tossed the meat into the pot of water and lifted it over the dormant fire pit. "I feel bad that you are unable to share some of my soup."

I kept my eyes closed, my mouth shut.

"It's alright, though. Please, don't worry about it."

I kept quiet, though I opened my left eye just enough to watch her.

The girl stood up. "I'll be back," she said, her voice strained as she stretched her arms over her head. She walked out of the hut, that skip back in her step.

I laughed another silent laugh an closed my eyes once more. When Mai came back, she was humming a tune and eating a large loaf of bread.

"...Mai?"

"Hey," she greeted me, her words muffled by the bread in her mouth, "Sesshy," she swallowed her food and continued speaking. "I... don't know what all you demons can do... but could you start the fire for me?"

I kept my eyes closed, though I furrowed my brow. "I am of no assistance in that area, I'm afraid."

She nodded, "It's alright, sir." After sitting back down, she prepared the rest of the ingredients and tossed them into the pot accordingly. The fire had long since been lit. I'm sure we had wasted the better part of the morning and a bit of the afternoon by then. She took such care with her meal it was almost as if it were a child she was nurturing.

There was nothing left of the loaf of bread when she finished, only the inedible crumbs on the ground for rodents to pick at.

Mai stood up from the pot and walked over to my side. She let her back hit the wall before sliding down. She pulled both her knees to her chest. "It should be done fairly soon," she whispered.

My eyes remained closed, though I had a great deal of trouble resisting the urge to open them just once to look at her.

"There's a beautiful sun set tonight, as well," she whispered again.

I had a feeling she was trying to get me to say _something_. But, the thought that she'd paid any attention to the beauty of the sky caught my attention. "The sunset...?"

"Yeah. It looks sweet and fluffy." She tried to muffle her giggle with her knees. "Like it was meant to eat."

"Hm." She would be the first human I've heard to talk about the beauty of nature. No humans I've spent any time with have ever paid attention to the beauty that surrounds them. "I understand completely."

She smiled. "Most of the villagers think that analogy is... 'odd and should be kept to yourself, young lady.'"

I opened my eyes, blinking them a few times. "You shouldn't listen to others." I looked away from her.

"You _would_ know best, considering the discouraging comments you must get from those around you..."

"The best way to deal with it is act like they aren't even there."

"Mm-hmm," she nodded in agreement, though she had no idea that was the solution beforehand.

ooo

The soup had taken much longer than expected. Mai had fallen asleep next to me for a few hours, past sunset, but woke up suddenly to check the soup. "How long was I out?" she breathed, rubbing her eyes.

"Not too long." My eyes were still closed as I sat there, sleepless.

She stirred the soup, rubbing her eyes with the other hand. "Good. It's ready now."

Jaken shook his head, waking up as well.

Mai filled two bowls with the thick soup, setting one in front of Jaken, the other for herself.

"Young lady, I--"

"You're eating," she told him, then quickly stuffed a potato chunk into her mouth.

"Hmm...," he grumbled.

Mai smiled. "So, how long are you staying here again, Sesshy?"

That was when Jaken went off. He set the bowl of soup down with a loud _clink_ and began telling her how 'Sesshy' was both rude and informal, saying that 'The great Lord Sesshomaru shouldn't be addressed in such a manner...' I began to tune it out, that is, until Mai chimed in.

"Listen here, you!" she squeaked. "He said I could!"

"Not in so many words," I scratched my head, my eyes still remained closed.

Jaken muttered a few inaudible words, even for my hearing, and picked up the bowl of soup, eating once more.

"So, you don't eat... You barely talk... Do you sleep?" Mai looked towards me.

I shook my head. "I don't have the need."

"Hmm... well, if you're not going to sleep, and you're not going to eat, could you at least break away from your usual habits and talk for a bit? I rarely get people who stick around me for this long..."

"_Good luck_," Jaken sighed.

Mai giggled. "I'm sure you have _something_ to talk about. You speak so... intellectually. You have to know something I don't."

That wasn't what I was interested in talking about. What I wanted to know is what she knew that I didn't. "Mai..."

"Hmm?" she hummed, sipping some of the soup.

"Your eyes..."

Mai smiled. "Striking, aren't they?" She set her bowl down. "When I was younger... My mother was teaching me how to set up a large fire. We used to go to a clearing in the forest once every lunar cycle on the full moon, make a bon fire, and dance around it. Unfortunately, while I was setting up the fire on my own, I made it too large. I was standing too close, and the fire burned my eyes.

"I was blind for a good year or two after. During the raid, my mother hid me from the attackers. Unfortunately, I was already so stressed out, afraid I was going to be killed. By nightfall, the noise had died down. I fell asleep crying that night; my mother and father never did come back for me.

"I woke up the net morning to find the traumatic event had given my vision back. I was stunned. The village doctor still has no explanation for it. They all say it was the work of demons... That's only part of the reason I'm such an outcast."

I opened my eyes. "Only part of the reason?" I repeated.

She nodded. "Before my mother hid me from the attackers, I'd already been beaten pretty badly. One of the older men had hit me with one of the blacksmith's large metal rods. Doc said I suffered some damage. He said it was partial to the reason why I act so... childish."

"With the injury to your brain, it wasn't able to fully develop," I added.

She blinked. "Yeah, I guess."

So, she will always be this carefree, resilient, bubbly child. She isn't immature. It's a mental deficiency. "I... understand..."

"Well," she laughed, "you would be the only one in the entire village that does. Everyone still treats me like I'm eight."

Though, her head injury doesn't account for her high-pitched voice and how small she is. She's a good foot shorter than me, too. That must be hereditary. "You shouldn't care what others think."

"I don't... but they don't care either. I'm just some kid..."

I sighed. "Mai. Humans only discourage others for their benefit. If you don't let it get to you, they'll stop."

She smiled. "Alright, Sesshy."

I closed my eyes once more, and awaited the night's end.


	3. Midnight Festivities

I opened my eyes, startled by sudden movement in the hut. "What are you doing?"

Mai looked directly at me. "Sesshy!" she whispered loudly. "It's a full moon tonight."

I looked at her crooked smile. "Should I know something?"

She shook her head. "I'm going out to the forest. Keeping my mother's tradition alive," she giggled.

I quickly stood up. The forest didn't feel safe when _I_ was out there. "You're not going alone."

"Oh! Sir, you're coming with me?" She clasped her hands together, unaware of her volume.

Jaken grumbled, rolling over.

Mai bit her lip and looked back toward me. "Wait here. I'll be back!" And so, I did. Mai was back in a matter of minutes. She was adjusting a new outfit. "My mother made it for me. It's a festive outfit. She had one similar." She rolled her shoulders.

It was unique, for sure. The kimono had a low neckline, the material a light off-white color, no other present design other than a pure red dragon spread diagonally from her right shoulder to her left hip. The sleeves were long, as usual. The bottom half was interesting; a fluffy white pelt attached to a short skirt; the pelt greatly surpassing the kimono in length. Her feet were now bare as well. Her mother had some imagination if she truly was the one who created this...

"What do you think?" she whispered.

I nodded, not truly wanting to answer for fear of hurting the girl's feelings. I did think the outfit was very intricate and beautiful, compared to her old, shredded clothes.

She giggled quietly. "Come on. I should get the fire started before the sun hits its highest point in the sky."

I followed her out of the hut, watching her twirl and spin as she walked. _This is as old as she'll ever act, and no amount of help will change that. Unless, by some miracle, she can find a sorcerer willing to help..._

Mai laughed, humming a song.

I followed behind her, keeping my distance. I could keep a good eye on her from there.

"Do you like to dance, Sesshy?" she asked, twirling over towards me.

"I've never danced."

She grasped my hands, swinging them back and forth as she walked backwards. "It's fun!"

I continued walking smoothly, with the exception of Mai moving my arms for me. I didn't know where we were headed, but with Mai's talk of dancing, I was beginning to regret going to watch after her.

"One, two, two, three," she let go of one of my hands, spinning herself around on 'three.' "Two, two," she grasped my hand again, but let it go, spinning again, "three! See? It's easy, too."

"I don't see the point of... dancing..."

She spun herself again, this time, without counting. Once she held my hands again, she looked up, into my eyes. "You need to lighten up. Life isn't all business, you know!" She resumed in swinging my arms back and forth lightly.

"...Should I regret staying here?"

She smiled, her eyes closed. "No, silly! Mai's just insane... You shouldn't regret anything just because of Mai!"

I cocked my head to the side, watching her. Her statement was absolutely incorrect. "You aren't insane." But why was she speaking in third person?

"No... There's something wrong with me. There has to be!" She stopped us from walking, stomping her bare foot on the ground.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with you." Knowing the story behind it, I could tell her honestly that it wasn't insanity.

She smiled. "That's nice of you, you know?"

I shook my head. "It's simply the truth, Mai."

She turned around, still holding one of my hands. She pulled me along.

"Where are you off to?"

"There's a clearing in the forest. We can tell which one it was by the cleared vegetation. The monthly fires killed all the life."

"'We?'"

"My mother and I."

"I thought she passed some time ago."

She nodded. "She did. I've been coming here every month since then, though. For ten years..."

Her mother was killed when she was eight? Incredible. She's survived this long... I'm surprised one of the villagers didn't take her in as one of their own.

"Hm."

We continued walking, my hand still being held captive in hers. Once we came to a large barrier of trees, she turned towards me. "Okay, time to help me out."

"Miss?"

She smiled. "What exactly can you do?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to think of an answer she would want to hear. "I can get you to the clearing." I spoke calmly.

She nodded. "Good! I normally get here on my own, but it'd be interesting to see what you can do! I don't have much knowledge of demons..."

"I can only imagine, considering the villagers' attitudes towards them."

"Hmm... So, anyway. Show me!"

I paused for a moment, thinking how to work everything out. I could carry her on my back, or pick her up in my arms, neither of which really sounded like a comfortable option. Though, I'd already told her I could help her. I don't typically go back on my word.

When I refocused, I realized Mai had already climbed onto my back, her arms locked around my neck. "Hurry! I need to get the fire going before midnight!"

I tried to hide the smile forming on my lips, thinking it was best just to continue on. "Hold on tight."

She nodded, burying her face in my Mokomoko. "Thanks."

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. What was I getting myself into now? I bolted off in a blur, leaping into the air before I could run into the trees.

Mai smiled, lifting her head. But, once she saw how far the ground was, she quickly buried her face once more, whimpering quietly. "I... I-I guess I have a problem with heights," she told me, her words muffled.

I laughed - another first in a long while.

"Please... take us back to the ground..."

I sighed, rather liking the cool breeze so high up. I landed once more, continuing to dart past the trees. I felt Mai's tense grip on me lighten up, but enough to still stay attached to me. We made it to what looked like a clearing in a few minutes, Mai now clinging onto me for dear life.

"You can let go now, Mai."

She stretched her legs to the ground, though I could sense some hesitance. "...Thanks, Sesshy." She let go of me completely, brushing herself off.

I looked around the burned clearing, finding the charred remains of last month's festivities. I could still smell the smoke and feel the joyful energy put into the whole occasion. It was a good feeling, and I'm kind of glad to be here to see it... whatever does take place, that is.

"Oh, good. I don't need that many sticks this time around." She smiled, seeing there was enough left from last time she could salvage.

I backed up from the large pile of wood and sat down on the ground, watching her prepare everything. The forest was still too quiet. The same creepy silence that even I wouldn't want to travel in. It's so strange...

Mai giggled, "There! Fire's going. Now we just sit back and wait until it really gets burning." She walked around the pile of sticks a few times, but stopped beside me on her last round. She sat down, her knees pulled to her chest. "Tonight's a special night..."

I looked at her.

"It's a harvest moon. You know, when the moon turns a deep yellow on its brightest and fullest night in the lunar cycle?"

"I didn't know it had such a name."

She shook her head, resting her chin on her knees. "It doesn't. My mother originally nicknamed it a 'harvest moon' because we first saw one on the first night of the harvest before winter. It was a deep yellow...," she looked at me, "like your eyes..."

"Like it is tonight." I looked up.

"Yep." She sighed, falling over onto me. Her head now resting on my shoulder.

I blinked. "...Uh..."

"What's even stranger is I haven't seen a harvest moon since. And this isn't even the harvesting month." She smiled.

I sighed, realizing Mai wasn't exactly going to sit up on her own any time soon. "How odd."

Mai nodded, closing her eyes. She rested her right hand on the lower part of my right arm, and let out a long held breath.

I closed my eyes as well, waiting for Mai's next move. Though, after waiting a few minutes with no movement, I opened my eyes. My gaze met a roaring bon fire, and a sleeping Mai on my side. "Mai...," I said, gently shaking her.

She groaned quietly, rubbing her cheek against my arm.

"...The fire..."

Her eyes shot open. "Oh... I guess I kind of forgot..." She sat up on her own, humming a bit as she stretched out her limbs. She stood up, turned towards me, and smiled. "The moon's high enough... I haven't come here with anyone else in a long while..."

I closed my eyes again.

"I know you don't dance... but would you... like to learn?" She held out a hand. I assumed it was meant to help me up to my feet.

"Mai," I shook my head.

"Please? Oh, it would mean the world to me to finally have someone else to dance with again..." Her silver eyes seemed to sparkle more now than I've ever seen, and she wasn't even facing the fire.

Fire...

I breathed in the air through my nose, my eyes still closed. Images danced in my mind of Mai and an older woman joyfully dancing around an identical fire. The visions switched; Mai was on her own, now, the fire no longer lit. She was wearing the same festive outfit she is now. Though, Mai was sitting at the base, trying to light the wood. As soon as it was lit, Mai stood up, though still hovering over the large pile of branches. I could see it from her long, flowing hair that the wind was blowing extremely strong.

The night was young, and the fire still had time to burn. The young girl stood over the fire, waiting for it to grow larger. When she could see hints of it smoldering, she backed up. It wasn't enough, though. From then, it grew much wilder, aided by the strong wind.

Mai reached out a hand over the fire. Then, something strange happened. The fire reached back, grasping her hand. Her face showed no pain, no damage being done by the ball of fire traveling up her arm. I could almost hear her childish laugh. She was literally _playing_ with the fire, and it seemed like something she was used to doing. She even tossed the fire from one hand to another with incredible ease.

But, something went incredibly wrong. The fire in her hands grew and spread, heading mainly to her face. It stopped at her eyes, and focused on that area alone. The other fire dissipated quickly. Mai screamed in pain and fell to her knees. She doubled over, trying to rub her eyes free of the fire. Though, the fire on her eyes disappeared, she continued to fight the pain.

The older woman bounced through the trees and over to the clearing. Her face turned from joy to shock in an instant, seeing her daughter on the ground.

My eyes shot open, refocusing on Mai.

"Please?" she begged.

I stood up on my own, not using the friendly hand up. "...Do me a favor first."

She jumped up and down, glad I had accepted her offer to teach me how to dance. "Sure! Whatever you want!"

"I want you to touch the fire."

Mai blinked, the excitement in her eyes missing. "I-I'm sorry...?"

I walked up to her, gently turned her towards the fire and walked us forward. "Just reach out and--"

"No!" she screamed. "I won't, I c-cant!" She wriggled away and stepped back. "Not again..."

I sighed. That was all I needed to know.

But, one thing still puzzled me. This girl is _entirely_ human. There isn't a single drop of demonic blood in her. She isn't a sorceress, nor is she a witch... She had no aura other than that of a human's... So how the hell can this girl control fire?

"It's alright," I told her. She'd become hysterical, now.

"No, n-no! I won't, I... I can't!" She took another step back.

"Mai...," I stepped towards her.

She shook her head quickly. I could see tears streaming down her cheeks, now.

I squinted and growled. I didn't like seeing her like this, but I couldn't think of any way to fix the situation, either. I could always go back to the village and bring help, but no one there even liked the sight of me. Check that option off the list. I could try talking her through it, but I wouldn't know what to say. Check that off as well.

I listened intently to her quiet whimpers, standing there, feeling helpless.

She threw her arms down from her face in another fit and ran towards me. Her arms were curled close to her chest when she hit me, though it wasn't enough to move me in the slightest; I don't think she intended to knock me over. "I'm so sorry," she pleaded, her voice breaking. She slid to the ground and continued to cry.

I moved closer to the ground, closer to her. "It's alright," I sighed. "You've no need to apologize. None whatsoever." I kept my voice quiet.

She threw her arms around my torso. "I... can't...," she sniffed in, "I haven't been able to since..."

I blinked, my body stiff and unmoving. No one had ever really hugged me... I never learned how to react to this kind of thing.

Mai let go of me, bringing her hands to her face to wipe her tears. "Really, I--"

"You apologize for a lot that isn't your fault."

She smiled, laughing quietly.

I smiled, glad to see hers back.

She nodded, "I...I'd feel better if I could teach you to dance, though..."

I sighed. "Is there any way around it?"

"Not really."

I stood up swiftly, holding out a hand to help her to her feet. "Alright," I breathed in, "what do I have to do?"

She laughed, taking my hand. "Okay. It's not that hard, really. Just...," she turned toward the fire, "follow my steps."

She played out an entire dance, similar to one I had seen her dance with her mother. I felt so foreign dancing along side her. She kept commenting on how I just need to let the warmth of the fire flow through me as I danced. I could never get it right, though I didn't see the point of the dance anyway.

Mai sighed, tossing her arms to her sides. "You're too... Ugh, never mind," she laughed. "It's fine, really. I'm just glad you tried."

The dance was quite an odd one, like ones I've seen others do to pray for rain, or ones families did to ward off evil spirits when they couldn't afford sutras or monks to do the job. This one, however, didn't seem to have a purpose other than just to dance.

"The sun should be coming up soon."

Mai nodded. "I know. If you'd like to go back, you can. I'll put out the fire."

I shook my head. "I'll wait for you." There's no way I'm letting her go off on her own when the forest is like this.

She laughed. "Alright." She turned to the fire, and held her hands out like she was going to warm them. "Might as well use what warmth I can while it's here." The air wasn't that cold. But, then again, I can take cold temperatures; maybe she can't? She sat down, her arms still held towards the fire. She was extremely meticulous about how close she got. It wouldn't be so close that she might catch the fire (like I had seen) or too far that the warmth would get picked up in the slight breeze.

I sat down next to her, feeling the warmth from the fire as well. I closed my eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" A voice rang through the trees. "Where are you, Lord Sesshomaru?!"

I sighed loudly.

"That sounds like Jaken," Mai said, looking at me.

"It is." I opened my eyes, looking at her.

"Ah! Lord Sesshomaru! Boy, am I glad found you." He rushed up to us, standing by the side Mai wasn't sitting next to. "What on Earth are you doing all the way out here this late at night?"

"It's my fault," Mai nodded. "I do this every month, and he didn't want me going on my own."

Jaken looked to me this time before saying anything else. He took my serious expression as a caveat. "Alright."

I nodded, closing my eyes once more.

"We should really get back, Sire."

Mai suddenly looked at the green yokai, clenched her fists at her side. Just as suddenly, the fire went out in a puff of smoke, an impossible task, especially considering it would've taken several hours for it to go out on it's own, and there was no one aiding it. It must've been Mai. "Fine. Let's go, then."

I quickly opened my eyes, and looked at the snuffed out fire, then at Mai. She seemed agitated by Jaken's presence.

Jaken was flabbergasted.

"I'll explain later, Jaken," I reassured him.

Mai looked at me, confused. "...You know?"

"About what?" I looked at her, a smile on my face.

"...Oh, you're good." She got to her feet. "We should really go, though."

I nodded in agreement, standing up. "Then we shall." Mai climbed onto my back and I ran off, Jaken calling after me.

"He'll find his way back, right?" Mai asked, her face buried in my Mokomoko once more.

"Of course."


	4. Hard Goodbyes

Jaken looked at me, his expression completely confused. "You're going to do _what_?!"

"I'm going to ask the other villagers about Mai. Would you like me to repeat myself again?"

"No, no," he shook his head, "I heard you the first time. Milord, you're not serious, are you?"

"Entirely. Now, if you don't mind, you're in my way." Unfortunately for the little guy, he didn't move, and I ended up stepping on him as I exited Mai's hut.

"Look, it's that demon again," a villager whispered.

"Mommy, can I go say hi?" a toddler tugged on their mother's kimono.

"No, honey, he's dangerous."

I squinted, staring at the mother. She would be the first I talk to. I walked up to her as she picked up the young child, holding onto the toddler for dear life. "You're not going to hurt me... are you?" she quivered.

"What do you know about Mai?" I asked her calmly.

She ran her fingers through the daughter's hair. "What, you mean that mental child?"

I clenched my fists. "No, I mean the young woman."

She shook her head. "All I know is she's got some mental impairment."

"Is that all?"

She began to rock the child. "Nothing much, really, other than some strange story that got passed around."

I watched her for a moment. "...Elaborate..."

"There's a rumor saying that young girl is connected with demonic spirits," which is a lie. I know for a fact there is nothing demonic in her entire body. "Some have said to have even seen her dancing with fire."

"What do you mean 'dancing'?"

She cleared her throat. "That party she has with herself every lunar cycle... one young man hid in the trees and watched her and her mother dance. He said he saw the woman catch the fire with her bare hands. The mother wasn't fazed at all. Neither was she."

I nodded. "That's all." I walked away from the woman, who soon after ran into her house with the child. I looked towards the fields, seeing both men and women picking and pulling the harvest. The others were tending to the livestock. I spotted a rather odd looking man - my next target.

As I walked through the field, the others' faces looked as if each step I took was going to kill their crops. I shook my head and restrained from yelling some cold words to them. I stopped behind the man I'd spotted earlier.

"What do you want, demon?"

I sighed. "What do you know about Mai?"

"That mental child?"

I growled quietly. It seems Mai was right; these villagers are cold hearted and inconsiderate.

"She's demented, I tell you!" He stood up as straight as he possibly could - which wasn't that straight - and shook his fist at me. "That girl has a connection with hell... She's Pyro in human form!"

Each of these villagers told me the same as well: 'That mental child' followed by something along the lines of fire. So, what I'd grasped from the scent of the scene, along with Mai's ability to completely snuff out a large fire in an instant, was true. Somehow, this entirely human girl was able to control fire.

"Thank you," I thanked the last villager and made my way back to Mai's hut.

Mai had slept most of the day, considering she was up most of the night, even after we'd gotten back. This gave me enough time to do what I had to do and get back before she woke up. Unfortunately...

"Sesshy! Oh, I was wondering where you were..."

"I was talking to some of the villagers," I told her.

"Well, she was quite bothersome in your absence, milord," Jaken interjected.

"I'm sure, Jaken."

Mai giggled."Oh! There was something I wanted to show you today, Lord Sesshomaru..."

'Lord Sesshomaru...' Hearing it again didn't help much. That name was still so different coming from her. I sighed.

"I'm sorry... Sesshy, I have something to show you."

"Mai, you really must stop apologizing. From what I've seen, nothing is your fault; therefore, you've no reason to apologize."

"I'm so--" she stopped herself short. "Alright, Sesshy. Let me know when you'd like me to show you."

This girl... one girl I just happened to run into, being as hospitable as she is, seemed so friendly. She was so easily attached to someone, doing and saying everything without regret. She was also extremely resilient in _most_ situations. She acted like we lived there, and had been for some time, as if we've known here for a while, like we weren't going to leave.

"What is it that's so interesting to you, Mai?"

She smiled, crossing her legs."It's a nice place, really. My mother would take me there when the sky was pink and purple. It was a pretty common sight, so she would normally take me up there to watch the sun set and carry me back once I'd fallen asleep. Since... it's your last night staying here... I thought I'd like to show you. If, not to see the sunset, just to see it in general..."

"If that's what you want."

Jaken blinked. "Y-you're not serious, are you, Sire?" he stuttered.

I growled, "Like I told you earlier, Jaken, _entirely_."

"This girl is changing you, milord...," Jaken grumbled.

"What did you say, little guy?"

Jaken growled. "Nothing, Mai. Go play your little games."

Mai clapped her hands a bit, smiling. "Well, I have to find my ribbon... It's around here somewhere..." She looked around, though she didn't stand.

I glanced to my left, then my right, spotting something. "Here," I picked it up and held it out for her.

"Thanks!" She took it, pulled her light brown hair out from under her and pulled it up high, securing it with the ribbon. As she stood up, I remembered she changed back into her original kimono. This one didn't seem to fit her style as much... her hair also reached just above her knees, even when pulled up at its highest point (refraining from the very crown of her head.) She straightened out her kimono and skipped out of the door.

"This... is insanity!"

I looked at Jaken.

"This 'Mai' child is turning you soft. What happened to this 'great' and 'powerful' Lord Sesshomaru?"

My expression was confused now. I don't feel any different. I'm not acting any different...

"Lord Sesshomaru, I advise we leave early. Today, or before dawn tomorrow at the latest."

Maybe he's right?

Jaken sighed. "Any longer and you might turn as mentally challenged as that young lady..."

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with her, Jaken," I growled.

"Turning protective, too..."

"Just let me do what I need to do, all right?"

ooo

"Come on, it's not that far..." She smiled.

"I can walk on my own, Mai." I looked down, her hand still holding onto mine tightly. She was dragging me up a very tall hill, covered in extremely long grass.

"I know! But it's more fun this way..." She sighed.

"It's not much farther, is it?"

She shook her head.

"Good." A few minutes later, we made it to the top of the hill. Let me tell you, the view was incredible. Luckily, Mai's hopes were proved true; a pink and purple sky.

"So nice... don't you think?"

It was really nice... "Yes, it is." I nodded.

She smiled and sat down in the tall grass. If it wasn't for the disturbance with the grass going several directions, Mai would've disappeared. I sat down as well, though I was a bit more noticeable. "You know," she began. "I... I'm gonna be sad to see you go tomorrow..."

I looked at her.

"You were the only one... of all the people I've ever met... that understood me. The others took one look at me and knew something was wrong..."

"Mai, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you. You're just different."

"Yeah. Different-special."

I sighed."Just because you act younger than most people your age, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you."

"Then why do people act like they do around me?" She looked at me with sincere eyes, searching for an answer.

"I've met them. They're just cold-hearted and inconsiderate. They don't know any better."

She sighed, slumping forward. "To them I'm just some kid..."

"Not to me."

She sat up quickly, looking at me once more. "W-what do you mean?"

"I pay attention. I don't take things for face value. You aren't a kid. You're a young woman and should be treated as such. But it doesn't mean you should act any different just because they want you to."

She smiled. "Thank you so much, Sesshomaru. You have no idea how much everything you've done means to me."

"I've done nothing but point out the truth."

She shook her head. "You stood up for me when Jaken hit me. When the others hit me for doing something wrong, they just laugh..." She fell back into the grass, looking up towards the sky.

"I--" Before I could really say anything, Mai pulled the sleeve on my kimono and pulled be back into the grass, only proving successful because she caught me completely off guard. I readjusted my head and arms so I was comfortable, watching the sky as it dimmed.

"You also helped me when I was down. You may not have done much, but being there was good enough." She rolled over onto her side so she was facing me. "And dancing with you was fun," she giggled, "even if you weren't all that good at it. Really... thank you, Sesshy." She propped herself up just enough to kiss my cheek.

I blinked. Mai... "Mai, why _did _you act like that... when I asked you to touch the fire?"

She sat up quickly. "...I don't want to talk about it."

I sat up as well. "I know it was a bad memory, considering what it had done to you, but for my sake..."

She clenched her fists. "I can't..."

"I knew you were the one who put that fire out. Any other source would've taken much, _much_ longer."

She closed her eyes tightly. "Sessh...omaru... Don't make me... please..."

"You can't control it, can you?" I asked, doubting she could intentionally do something like that after the traumatic event, afraid it would happen again.

"I can! I just... don't... want to..."

I looked at her, though more towards the ground.

"I haven't done anything since then. Not... fire... not water, dirt, air... nothing."

I blinked, looking up quickly. "I'm sorry?"

"You didn't know? I thought you would've if you guessed I could control the fire..."

I shook my head. "What I don't know now is... how..."

She sighed, and then reached up into the left sleeve of her kimono, almost to her shoulder. She pulled her hand back out, now holding onto something. "This is how." She handed it to me.

It was a type of band made out of gold, with a stone set into it. It was almost opalescent like her eyes, but a deep, golden amber. The band itself wasn't completely circular, an opening on the side, the ends curling in different directions. The stone had an equal length of band connected to either side of it. Even stranger, there was no aura coming off of the armband.

"It's a nature stone. My mother gave it to me when I was much younger. She said it would help me out when I grew up... It only wrecked my life that much more." She gently took it from my hands and gave it a good look over. "I shouldn't have kept it once I found out what it could make me do." She threatened to throw it down the hill, but I stopped her.

"It's not that bad. Your powers are completely hidden... I never, and still can't, sense anything from that stone."

She put her hands back in her lap, looking at the stone. "So... I have an... advantage over enemies?"

I nodded.

She giggled. "That's great! I never knew..." She laughed once more and replaced the band back onto her upper left arm. She leaned against me, resting her head on my arm.

I sighed. These two days have probably been both the strangest... and the most eye-opening days of my very long life. This girl... who's supposed to be no one... had probably made the biggest impact on my life. More than anyone else I have ever met.

I watched the sunset for a while longer, but nudged Mai after long. The sun was completely down now, the stars at their brightest. "Mai..."

She didn't respond.

"Mai?" At closer examination, I could tell she was sleeping. Mai had told me her mother always brought her here, an carried her back when she fell asleep. She talked about it like she fell asleep ever time...

I carefully kept her from falling (trying not to wake her up) while I got to my feet. I watched her for a moment, then leaned over, and picked her up. I tried to cradle her in my arms so she was as comfortable as possible. Luckily, she hadn't woken up yet. Her hair had fallen onto her face, so I held her with one arm, and brushed it away with the other. She still had that gleam to her, even when she was sleeping.

I slowly walked back down the hill, with a strange thought in my head. This _is_ the last night I'll be here. This is probably the _last_ time I'll ever see her. But... in the great span of things, she's nothing. She's just a tiny footnote in my timeline. She would be but a spec of dust.

Only something I'm obsessing over for the time being.

I need to leave. Immediately, if possible.

Once I'd carried her back to the hut, I laid her down on the ground, covered her up with a sheet, and carried Jaken out of the hut by the neck of his shirt.

"Hey! Have you lost connection with reality, milord? Are you alright?"

I set him down hard. "Maybe you were right."

"I-I was? I mean I was! Of course I was!" He nodded. "...About what?"

"This girl is changing me, slowly but surely changing me."

He nodded again. "Get that through your skull!"

"We need to leave."

"...I'll make preparations to leave tomorrow afternoon."

"No," I corrected him. "Before dawn. Before Mai wakes up." I replayed what she told me, '_I... I'm gonna be sad to see you go tomorrow..._' "I don't want any hard goodbyes."

"B-but won't leaving without a goodbye only be harder on her, Sire?"

"It'll be harder for me if we have to."

"Ah," he breathed, nodding. "We'll leave before dawn, then, Lord Sesshomaru." He bowed lightly.

We both walked back into the hut, and Jaken laid down to sleep. I resumed my usual spot against the wall, one leg pulled in, the other stretched out. For once in my life... I fell asleep.

And I dreamed...

ooo

"_Sesshy! Hey! Wait up!" Mai shouted, waving her hand through the air above her head._

_I looked back, looked forward again, and continued walking. "You'll catch up." I don't remember how, or why, but apparently Mai had joined me on my endless journey. I'm kind of glad she did..._

"_Hey!" she shouted again._

_Jaken and I stopped walking, turning to face her._

_She was running like hell. When she finally caught up, she was extremely out of breath. Though, I noticed something odd... She wasn't human, but a Hanyō. A half demon. Now I was really beginning to think InuYasha had something to do with it. I squinted my eyes, watching her closely. "Are you alright?"_

"_I'm fine... Really." She held an arm out to the side, toward me, slumping over as she caught her breath. Her tawny ears were set out to the side."Master Jaken, can't we take a break?"_

_I continued walking._

"_No! Lord Sesshomaru needs to cover a lot of ground today."_

"_Aww... Sesshy, please? Can we pretty please take a break? I'm beat..."_

"_You should be fine. Take some water from the ground and take a drink if you need it." With her new status as a neko, she shouldn't need a break... She's just stubborn._

"_No!" She stomped her foot on the ground, bringing up a thick, hard wall directly from the Earth right in front of me._

_I tapped it with the knuckle of my index finger, then looked back towards her. "Insolence. Take it back this instance!"_

"_I need a break, damn it!" she yelled, the wind picking up around her._

_I blinked. "Okay, now, Mai..." This is when her young attitude turns from a positive to a negative._

"_No, you look. I need a break. I'm tired!"_

_I sighed. "Fine. A small break. That's it."_

_She smiled, all obstructions from the Earth disappearing."Yay."_

_I sighed again, and so did Jaken. We sat down on the ground where we stood, waiting for Mai to decide when the break was over. As easy as it would be for me to take care of her, neither of us wanted to mess with her at the moment._

_Mai walked over to me and sat by me, disregarding Jaken's warning to me, "I knew this wasn't a good idea, Lord Sesshomaru. I'm telling you, Mai is growing attached to you. Young lady, Lord Sesshomaru is going to out live you by centuries, you know that right?"_

_She nodded. "You've told me several times. I don't care. I live in the present and the past, really. I don't' mind the future. I live a short life compared to the big scheme of things. But, as long as I'm with Sessomaru for now, I'm happy." She hopped up onto her knees and kissed me. And, it wasn't like the one she'd given me before, no. It wasn't a simple kiss on the cheek._

_Jaken groaned and turned his gaze away. "Please, make this stop a quick one."_

ooo

My eyes shot open. When I realized it was all just a dream, I sighed, relieved. I could never get involved in such a relationship with a human. Especially not Mai. Not her, she's just someone I met. A... random event, a random person, nothing more...

"Jaken, get up," I kicked him.

He sat up like lightning had hit him. "It isn't past sunrise, is it, milord?"

I shook my head. It was still dark out.

"Oh, good. We should leave, then." He stood up, picked up his staff, and walked over to the door. "You don't have anything to do, do you, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I'll meet you out on the road."

He nodded and left the hut.

I sighed and stood up, straightening my clothes. A strange wave of fatigue washed over me - the effects of sleeping once for a few hours after not sleeping for several years.

Mai was still sleeping soundly, a pleasant smile on her face.

I smiled, walking carefully to her side. "Goodbye... Mai..." I whispered, so wishing how I could just wake her up and tell her.

I soon walked out of the hut, and Jaken and I left.

ooo

**Okay, so this next part needs a bit of explanation. It'll be in Mai's PoV, only because I absolutely had to for this short part. It's morning, just to tell you.**

ooo

I smiled, stretching my arms a bit. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. "Sesshy, you up yet?" I asked, my voice quiet.

No response.

I opened my eyes, my vision a bit blurry. When it cleared up, I saw the hut was entirely... empty. My heart sank in an instant. "Oh... he... must've had to... go..." I stood up, stretching out my legs. After pulling my hair up again, finding my ribbon much quicker this time around, I walked out of the hut. The other villagers were already up and around, getting to their daily duties.

"Master Makoto!" I shouted. "Did you see Lord Sesshomaru this morning?"

The old man shook his head. "No, I haven't. But, Mai Kuroki, get your ass over here this instant!"

My heart sank even further. "Yes... Master..." My eyes were drawn to the ground, saddened.

"You've missed the majority of your duties for the past two days. You need to get to work!"

"But--"

"Now! I don't want any excuses from you, child." He turned me around and pushed me down to the ground. "Do you understand?"

I whimpered quietly, picking myself up. I had a new scrape on my left cheek and forearm, and some bruises elsewhere. I was used to it by now. I should be, it's been this way for a decade. "Okay! I understand...," I told him, quickly wiping a tear from my cheek before he saw. I stood up and ran away. "I'm really going to miss you, Sesshy..." I brushed a few more tears from my cheeks and carried on with my chores.

ooo

**Alright, so that was the depressing chapter...**

**Now, for those who are interested, I have a few pictures drawn up. About this story, of course! So, you can find my email on my profile if you'd like to see them. Shoot me over a message and I'll send them to ya! That's all for now... I'll get the next chapter up soon.**

**Michelle.**


	5. Backtracking

"Lord Sesshomaru... Lord Sesshomaru... Milord!"

"I'm sorry, Jaken. I was thinking."

"About what, Milord?"

I sighed. "It's not important."

He nodded. "If you're sure."

It was _incredibly_ hard to not wake her up. The will to resist didn't come that easily to me. She'd been so nice to us... I bet it hurt her to see us gone that morning. Sure, it's been the better part of two lunar cycles and with her resilience, she probably forgot about it long ago. I still can't believe I haven't forgotten.

"Sire, are you even paying attention to where we are going?"

"I know exactly where we are, Jaken, don't worry."

"If you're sure..."

Then again, it would probably kill me inside a bit to know she still misses me. Those other villagers wouldn't treat her any better than they would the dirt they walk on. To her, I was a god. Some miracle. The light she's never seen. Someone had actually paid some mind to her and treated her how she should be. Not only did she make a big impact on _my_ life... but I probably made a pretty good dent in hers. The good kind, of course.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Watch out!"

Before I could register Jaken's words in my mind, I hit the tree the green yokai was trying to warn me about. I stepped back and rubbed my forehead. "Damn..."

"Are you absolutely sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine." I rubbed my forehead again, stepped around the tree, and continued on.

"If you--"

"If you say 'If you're sure' one more time, I swear--"

Jaken blinked. "Alright! Okay, I get it, sorry. I promise, I won't."

"Good." I sighed, stepping over a large, fallen tree.

These past two months, my mind has been blank. I've thought about nothing but what was in front of me at the moment. I've killed over thirty-five humans, twenty-one demons, and wrecked an entire village, and not once have I thought about that young woman.

Then now, of all times, when we aren't even progressing, I think about Mai. You know, I could make it back to her village in one night if I tried. No... What am I thinking?

"Sire... as if I really need to ask, but are you... thinking about that girl?"

I stopped walking, Jaken ran into me. "Don't say such things."

"...Yes. I'm sorry." He bowed respectively, and we continued walking.

That was the truth, though. I guess I didn't want to acknowledge it. Fine. You know what...

"Jaken."

He looked up. "Milord?"

"How do you feel about taking another stop?"

He smiled. "Really? You're sure you want to take another break so soon?"

"Absolutely positive." Not really...

He smiled. "Wonderful! But... there aren't too many villages near here."

"I wasn't thinking 'near here.'"

He looked at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

"We're going to go east a bit."

"You mean backtrack? It took us this long to get here and you want to backtrack, Sire?" He stopped walking.

I stopped as well. "It wouldn't take so long for me. I was only considering you."

"Well," he laughed slightly, "thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."

"If I ran, it wouldn't have taken but a moment."

He sighed. "I'm sorry I'm slowing you down, Sire."

"Don't apologize. You can't help being small."

Jaken shook his head. "Did you have a specific village in mind, Milord?"

"Just one, in fact." I turned around and began to walk.

He sped up to catch up to me. "Really? Which one?"

"Mai's."

Jaken stopped walking as his jaw hit the ground. "Y-y-you're kidding, please tell me you're kidding, Lord Sesshomaru." He ran to catch up again.

I shook my head, my golden orbs tracing the horizon, though it was flooded with trees.

"Do you even remember why we left last time? We left because that girl was changing you! You even agreed!"

"Jaken."

"Y-yes, Sire?"

"Your job isn't to belittle what I have to do."

"What you have to-- But, Lord Sesshomaru, you aren't _obligated _to see her. You even left without so much as a goodbye!"

I sighed. "I said goodbye."

Jaken blinked. "Still... The fact that you did say goodbye is proof enough! If it was anyone else you wouldn't have thought twice about leaving for good."

I stopped walking, Jaken ran into me. "You're not in a position to be arguing with me, Jaken."

He laughed, though it sounded forced. "Y-you're right, I'm sorry, Milord."

"All right." I nodded and continued walking on.

"Sire... if I may ask... Why?"

"I'm not obligated, but I _feel_ obligated. If that isn't enough of an answer for you, then so be it."

He nodded. "Thank you. If you don't mind, I think I'll rest here for the night."

"You know where I'm headed. Catch up if you can."

He nodded once more and turned the other direction in search of firewood.

He won't catch up, and I'm kind of counting on it. It took us two months on foot to reach where we did, and it would only take but an hour at the most to reach Mai's village if I went at _my_ speed. Him on foot... it would probably take twice as long as it did coming here without me to push him along.

Luckily it was already close to sunrise, and now with Jaken gone, I could really kick up speed. And once I was off, it only took but a few minutes to do a day's worth of walking. I looked up at the stars quickly passing overhead, seeing a rare shooting star. "Must be my lucky day," I smiled. "Either that or it's a warning not to go... I'll take my chances."

ooo

It didn't take long after that. Jaken is still God knows where behind me, probably several hundred miles away. Let's hope he doesn't hitch a ride somehow and catch up. It's easier to do everything without him nagging me about it.

The trees were less green now, as the months had passed. The crops were pretty much all gone, stored for the current winter months. The leaves covered the barren land, now. And, even better, the air is biting cold. Good for me, bad for humans. And there's a breeze blowing today. Perfect.

I walked into the village, and seeing as the villagers were all inside, those menacing stares were missing. I decided it was better to take a look around the village before looking for Mai. I looked at the huts, seeing the windows were pretty much boarded up to keep warmth in, a thick cover in front of the doors... I see this area must get some heavy snow this time of year.

I searched the farming land, finding a lone carrot. It was still pretty good, ripe, and edible, so I picked it. There wasn't much else worth my time, other than the clouds above. They were dark, grey, the only possibility of ruining this perfect day.

"Hey, demon! What do you want?!"

I turned around to see the same old man I'd met the first time around. "I'm just looking around."

"Well, leave. You aren't welcome here."

Does he not recognize me? "I have a prior engagement with one of your villagers."

"I highly doubt that, now please, leave."

"...I have one of your carrots..." I held it up, showing the old man.

He sighed. "Make sure you leave it here on your way _out_!"

I shook my head. "I'm not leaving until my obligations are taken care of."

He grew more aggravated. "Just leave. You aren't welcome here."

"And you must suffer from memory loss."

"What was that, demon?!"

"Master Makoto... Lord Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Mai walked out of her hut, rubbing her eyes. It _was_ pretty early, so we must've woken her up. She looked up quickly.

I smiled. "Mai..."

She ran towards me, throwing her arms around my torso. "Sesshy..."

ooo

**I know this one was short, but it had to be powerful. I swear, I tried to make it longer, I really did... I promise I'll make the next one longer, and I'll get to it ASAP :D**

**Michelle.**


	6. Not Unless You Mean It!

"I knew you would come back... I really missed you, you know...," she whispered.

I cringed. She really did miss me...

"Where's Jaken?"

I looked around. "He's probably quite a ways back. I wanted to make it here before midday, and it would've taken another two months if I waited for him."

"Well, I'm just glad you're back," she giggled, squeezing me tighter. "Come on, it's cold outside." She reached for my hand and began pulling me off to her hut.

"...I'm sorry... Lord Sesshomaru, I thought you were lying..." The old man bowed.

"Nice to see you humans own up to something for once."

"Be nice, you two," Mai chided.

I shook my head and let Mai lead me back into her hut.

"Oh, I've missed you so much since you were gone. The lunar parties weren't as fun without you... And I fell asleep on the hill and woke up there too. No one was there to carry me back," she whimpered, hugging me again.

I sighed and put my arms around her as well, not knowing what else to do. "I'm not that important."

She smiled. "You are to me! You were the first person that understood me... Do I have to go over it again?"

I shook my head. "It's alright."

"Good. I'm just glad you're back."

"You're not mad that I woke you up?"

"No, but I am mad that you didn't wake me up and say goodbye!" She let go, took a step back and put on a real serious face.

I closed my left eye and smiled. "I did say goodbye," I paused, opening my left eye, "but I didn't want to make it harder on both of us and wake you up. You wouldn't have let me leave."

"Damn right I wouldn't!" she laughed. "At the very least I would've cried and begged you not to leave." She tapped her chin, and then shrugged. "But I guess it _was_ for the best. After all, you came back, didn't you?"

I nodded. "I don't know how long I'll be staying. After all, I only have until Jaken comes after me."

"How long will that take?" she asked, her eyes filled with hope.

I smiled. "It should be a while."

She giggled, her grin wide as she hugged me again. "Good, now don't you ever take off like that again, Sesshomaru!" She squeezed me tighter with her last words.

"Alright, alright," I laughed a bit, trying to pry her off of me. She wouldn't let go though. "Mai..." I furrowed my brow, seeing something unusual on the back of her legs. "Can I ask you something?"

She let go on her own, taking a step or two back. "Sure!" She brushed her bangs out of her face. That's when I saw more.

"Mai... Where did you get those cuts and bruises?"

She blinked, her smile faded quickly. "Oh... I... got them from working around the village..."

I shook my head. "Impossible. I want the truth..."

Her eyes were sad now. Probably the worst I've seen. "They treat me like a child, Sesshy... I tried ignoring them but it only made things worse! They hit me... That lady and her kid are no different. I was getting some water from her well and... and..."

I sighed. "Mai, it's okay," I assured her. "I'll take care of it later. Right now, I need to take care of you."

She stepped back again, extremely confused. "Sesshy say what now?"

I laughed. "I meant your injuries."

"Oh, thank God. Okay... We, uhm... have some supplies in that other hut. I could--"

"I wasn't thinking that. Do you know of any medicinal herbs? They work better for injuries than simple things from doctors."

She nodded quickly. I picked some yesterday. I was going to make a tea, but never really got around to it. Maybe you could use some?"

"Show me."

Mai nodded, smiling. She walked over to the fire pit, sat down in front of it and emptied the pot. She took out four herbs. "Nasushirogiku, kamomīru, Ahen Keshi, and daimā. They were all for my tea, but..."

"I can use nasushirogiku, Ahen Keshi, and daimā. You can use kamomīru for yourself."

She smiled. "Yay," she giggled, picking the herb up and holding it close to her chest. "I'll make some tea tonight. Maybe that way we'll both get some sleep," she offered, knowing kamomīru would aid sleep.

"Also... do you know where any Sanzashi, ninninku, or Yarō grow?"

"I know for sure of ninninku, but Sanzashi and... whatever that last one was..."

"It's alright. I can find some on my own. You can stay here if you'd like. I'll go search the nearby land to see if there's any of those herbs surviving the cold." Though... that's not all what's on my mind. I'd like to tell those villagers a thing or two for hurting Mai!

She nodded. "Go have fun, but don't freeze, alright, Sesshy?"

"I promise, I won't." I nodded and left her hut.

The herbs shouldn't be too hard to find. Yarō requires some digging, ninninku is extremely common, and Sanzashi is rare, but I'm sure a place like this would have some. If not fresh, then dried. Now, to deal with those villagers. They should be awake by now.

I entered a large hut, which seemed like a good enough gathering place. I assumed this is where the head of the village and most of the other villagers would gather and propose a plan if things should get out of hand, ex., if it were to snow, which it seems there is a high change of it. Or, it could be a place where everyone gathers to eat. They're both probably ideas...

As I walked in, the room fell to a silence. My ears began ringing. I sat down in an empty seat and returned their stares. "I have one simple question for you all."

No one responded directly, only a few hushed whispers amongst themselves.

"Why do you treat Mai with such disrespect?"

A momentary silence where no one answered, then someone spoke up. "Why do you care, huh?!"

I let out a held breath. "That is none of your concern. Just tell me why you insist on beating the young woman? She is just as old as the rest of you, not some child. Such disrespect shouldn't be shown to any living thing..."

As if it couldn't get any quieter, it did. It was dead silence. It reminded me of the forest...

"I don't condone how you treat Mai. If it doesn't stop, I'll see to it that each of your deaths are brutal, long, and by my hand." With that, I stood up and left the hut. Good. There were enough people in there that the word should get around. And, I stick to my word. I _will_ hurt anyone if they hurt Mai again. If they so much as touch her, I'll be there to make sure they suffer.

Now to find the herbs. It took quite a bit of searching, and a bit of dirt under my claws, but I found each and every herb. With the herbs in hand, I reentered Mai's hut.

"Sesshomaru! I got the fire started a while ago, filled the pot with water, and got some bandages from the hut... in case you needed it."

"Much appreciated." I smiled. "I took care of your little problem as well, my dear."

She looked at me, another crooked, confused smile on her face. "Hmm... Terms of endearment don't suit you that well, Sesshomaru. Though it seemed to come naturally... Have you not been so close to anyone in your life?"

"I've never had much luck with socialization. I'm one to work alone." I shook my head.

"You've done well with _me_, so far...," she giggled.

I cocked my head to the side slightly, thinking about her statement. "I guess so."

"After all, I assume you felt so strongly enough to stand up for me. Considering the majority of your reason for leaving the hut was to tell off the villagers for hurting me, correct?" She smiled.

I blinked. "How did you--"

"I guessed. It wasn't that hard to figure out, though. You had that look on your face," she mimicked an expression I must've had when I left, "that just said 'payback.'"

I laughed. "I should get to tending to your wounds. At the very most, how old are some of these wounds?" I walked to her side and sat down, tracing my fingers along some of the scabs and bruises carefully.

She laughed, pulling back from my hand. "That tickles."

"Sorry." I placed my hand back in my lap.

She shrugged. "I'd say about... a week. The others all healed."

"Others?" I clenched my teeth.

"Since you left, Sesshy..."

"I guess I have a good enough reason to _stay_, then."

She smiled. "If I had my way, you would never leave..."

"I don't have any prior engagements elsewhere..." Though Jaken would be pretty peeved. I've traveled for the majority of my life, really. Jaken couldn't see me doing anything else. He wouldn't imagine anything different. His 'precious' Lord Sesshomaru travels for his benefit. I only did it until something better decided to come along.

Well... Something better came along.

Jaken will just have to deal with it. He is, after all, following me for his own reasons. He can leave if he wishes.

"So, you'll stay? Oh, that's great! Though... I think the other villagers might evict me," she laughed that same forced laugh.

"Mai... I can't stay. Really, it's not..."

"Then I'll come with you when you leave."

I blinked. "I'll need your help with the herbs," I told her quickly.

She sighed breathlessly, her eyes drawn to the floor. "Alright. I get it... You care, but not like that. It's alright, I understand." She nodded. "So, what kind of help do you need?" she asked, her voice a little more cheery.

_It's not that, Mai.._., I thought, though I tried so hard to tell her out loud_, I just... have to travel. It's in my blood. I can't rest._ "Never mind. I can do it on my own."

"You sure?"

I nodded.

After an hour of preparation, I had the medicines in order. A paste of nasushirogiku, Ahen Keshi, ninninku, daimā, and Yarō, all herbs aiding pain relief and infection fighting. I used Sanzashi and some of her kamomīru as well to make a tea that will hopefully help keep her mind off the sting the paste will give her, and it should also make her a bit tired.

"This part... I'll need your cooperation and trust with."

She nodded. "You've got it."

"Alright. This," I pointed out the paste, "should help your cuts heal faster, but it _will_ hurt any open wounds."

She nodded, listening intently.

"And I'll need you to drink this. It's not too hot." I showed her the pot of tea, implying that she'll need to fill a cup.

"Alright, then." She smiled, nodding. She carefully ladled some of the tea, leaves and all, into a cup and began to drink it. "Eww," she cringed. "This is disgusting."

"It'll help. Trust me." As long as she doesn't drink the entire pot, which doesn't seem to likely, she won't be all that tired. I picked up the bandages Mai had gotten me earlier and set them next to the bowl of paste. "You'll have to tell me if you're uncomfortable at any time."

She smiled. "Got it, Sesshy," she told me, her words echoing in the cup.

I turned to face her, considering she was angled away from the fire just enough. "It might hurt...," I whispered, rubbing some of the paste onto her wounds.

Surprisingly, she only winced on a few of them. They were some of the softer, newer cuts. I wrapped each section with a bandage after applying the paste to make sure it helps to the fullest extent. Her arms weren't that bad, either, though I couldn't help much with the few on her face, as much as I wanted to. By the slight tear in her kimono, I could tell she had one on her back.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Unless you're _that_ worried about it..."

I shook my head. "It's not that big, it'll be fine." I set the bowl down and stood up. "But we have another problem for the time being."

She furrowed her brow and finished the rest of the tea in her cup, now looking at me. "What do you mean?"

I held out my hand for her, which she took and stood up. "I'll show you..." I led her to the door, pushed aside the thick cloth, and was soon being hit by light, white snow. I pulled her further outside.

She clung to me for warmth. "Oh this is beautiful... I haven't seen snow like this since the year before last. Incredible." I could tell she wanted to just sit down and play in the snow, but she wasn't dressed accordingly.

I rested my hands on her shoulders, rather liking the cold. I prefer it to warmth any day.

"Oh, well, that wrecks my plans for today...," she sighed, biting her thumbnail.

"What were you going to do?"

She smiled, turning around to hide her front half from the cold. "Once you came into the picture, I was going to take you away from the village and show you some of the things to do around here, but it's snowing now so..."

"I'm not bothered by the cold. It's you and your vulnerable immune system, in such a weak state as it is right now, that I'm worried about."

She nodded, her forehead rubbing against my torso. "It's alright. I can show you some other time. Assuming you stay that long..."

"If I don't, I'll be sure to come back again." I smiled.

"I don't want you to go." She dug deeper into my stomach, clinging to me like her life depended on it.

"I don't plan on it, Mai." You could hear some uncertainty in my voice.

She gripped my clothing. "Don't say it unless you mean it!" Her voice shook. "I can't take anymore disappointment..."

That tea helped for sure. She's acting rationally. Damn it, mental note: don't ever give her that tea again!

"Please... say something," she begged, in hopes I really meant it.

I closed my eyes and looked in another direction. Truth was, I couldn't be sure, and I didn't want to hurt Mai.

Both of our heads were covered in snow by now, along with the bulk of my clothing and some of hers. We stood there in silence until I could feel her shiver in my grasp. "You're cold," I whispered.

"I'm fine." She wedged herself out of my grasp and stood with her back towards me, her arms folded across her chest.

"You're going to freeze, Mai. Before long, those wounds I fixed won't be your only problem."

I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"It's against your nature to hold a laugh that big back...," I told her, smiling.

She laughed quietly. "I'm not cold. Really, I'm not."

I walked up behind her, covering her with my arms. "You're freezing. I can tell. We should go back inside."

She nodded. "Alright..."


	7. Leaving?

**Alright, so I apologize for the last chapter. My translations weren't exactly the best, though I think they were right. Also, I've noticed a few other errors in the previous chapters, and I apologize for them. Anyway, back to the story.**

ooo

The snow didn't die down. It continued to fall for the next several hours, blanketing the land with a thick sheet of snow. The cold wasn't kept out of the hut, even with the large cloth in front of the door and the boarded up windows, the warm fire... nothing helped. It didn't seem to do Mai any good, either. She was able to warm up quickly after we got inside, but she slowly began to lose warmth from then on.

"I'll make some of my tea. Maybe that'll warm me up," she suggested, gathering the ingredients that were sitting around her. "I'm not sure if the well has any usable water, though. It might be frozen solid."

"I'll check," I offered, taking the pot filled with the tea from earlier. I walked outside, the snow gathering around my feet. The land was covered in much more snow than it previously was.

I walked slowly over to the well, taking my time. I smiled, brushing my hair behind my ears with my free hand. The cold air was nice... I could hear things I normally couldn't. It was all so lovely...

Once I was by the well, I strung the pot up and wheeled it down to the bottom, hearing the unwelcome clink of metal against ice. I growled and wheeled the pot back up to the top. Suddenly, I let go of the handle and let it fall, the ice shattering against the bottom of the pot.

I smiled; a job well done. I let the pot it in the water until it was full before bringing it back to the top. Good, there was only minimal ice in the pot. The cold air immediately tried to freeze the water to the metal handle. Fearing the metal would stick to my skin, I held the handle with my sleeve between my skin and the metal.

Once again, I took my time to make it back to Mai's hut. I pushed aside the cloth in front of the door, though I stopped to scoop up a handful of snow. "This is one of the brightest winters yet..." I smiled.

Walking over to Mai's side, I set the pot down, and walked over to the plant growing out of the floor. I covered the dirt surrounding the green plant with the snow in my hand, knowing it would melt and give the plant the water it needs. I stood up and walked back over to Mai, sitting as close as possible to her so she could share my warmth.

Mai smiled. "I started the fire just moments before you came in. It's small right now, but it shouldn't take long." She hung the pot up over the small fire.

"Mai, could you do me a favor?" I asked.

"Sure, anything," she breathed, looking at me.

"...Try..."

Her expression turned confused, her head cocked to the side slightly.

"Just try. That's all I ask."

She blinked, realizing what I meant. "Sesshy... I can't."

"I know you can. Maybe not at will, but you can."

She shook her head. "I can't do it!"

I asked her to try once more.

She shook her head, but paused for a moment. She quickly removed the strange armband and held it out for me. "You do it."

I took the armband from her. "But... I don't know how," I explained. She's had years of experience, whereas I've never even tried to use it.

"Just concentrate."

I slipped the small band over my wrist, not attempting any more, knowing it was almost too small to even fit there. Rather than on the fire, I concentrated on the pot itself. It was but a few moments before we both started to notice the differences. Not only did the water start boiling, but the fire below grew tremendously. Damn, this thing is more uncontrollable than I would've expected. Mai must've spent hours on end practicing to master this strange stone.

Curiously, Mai stuck her finder into the water. She pulled it back quickly. "Ow!" She stuck her finger in her mouth. "Damn..." She pulled her finger out of her mouth, shook her wrist around a bit, and then stuck her finger back in her mouth.

"Here," I pulled her hand from her mouth, cupping my hands over the injured finger. I blew cool air over her skin, with the aid of her nature stone, trying to cool the injured skin.

She giggled, "Thanks so much." She inspected her finger, noting the injuries were gone.

I smiled, slipped the band off of my wrist and handed it back to her. "See, it's not that hard. Now just try..."

She took the armband and replaced it without question. "But, I can't do it."

I stood up. "I'll help you."

She nodded, using me as support as she stood up. "Well, all right, if you're sure." I could still see how frightened she was. Even just at the mention of the thing, she began shaking. I understand why she feels like this...

Mai held her hands outward, palms down. As she raised her hands up, she began to lift the water. Though, I could tell the longer she used it, the more she shook with fear. She quickly let the boiling water fall back into the pot.

"It's all right. Try again."

She nodded meekly and raised her hands outward, palms up this time. I could tell she was still shaking. She turned her palms inward, now facing each other. A small ball of fire grew in between, though it quickly grew more and more. Mai was no longer controlling it.

"Mai!" I quickly rushed up behind her, put my arms around her, and forced her arms down, trying everything I possibly could to extinguish the fire.

Mai quickly turned around, pulling her hands close to her chest. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru, I just can't!" she cried, burying her face in my torso. "I tried, I really did!"

"It's okay, I understand. Please, don't cry." I wrapped my arms around her, unable to think of how to comfort her. I'm sure she injured herself. The fire was too hot and uncontrollable for her to not have. "I don't like seeing you sad."

"It hurts, Sesshy," she whimpered, clenching her fists.

"I'm sure you burned yourself. You have to let me take care of it..."

She shook her head. "No, don't. It's fine... Just..."

I watched her stand motionless in my arms for a moment, realizing all she really wanted was to be near me. She didn't care about the pain at all...

Damn it. I knew this would happen...

Jaken tried to warn me, as well. He said I would grow attached to this human. Of course, I never expected her to grow so attached to me as well. It just wasn't customary. Humans aren't supposed to love demons, considering the bond just wouldn't last. Humans have a different set of instincts—save themselves at all costs. We demons have our own as well—protect our kind and those close to us at all costs. Unfortunately, when a demon falls for a human, those instincts clash. Being with the demon has jeopardized the human's safety and has changed the outlook others have for them.

They want anything to be accepted by others and reenter the safety they once had. But, that means betraying their love—the demon. We demons have such bad reputations for it, though that isn't the only reason for our reputation...

But... I promised myself the day father ruined his life by falling in love with that human (considering history only repeated itself with my insolent half brother) that I would never do as such. Now look at me...

I've...

I've gone and fallen in love with Mai...

"Lord Sesshomaru... Promise me one thing..."

"What is it, Mai?"

"No matter what happens... you won't forget me. I won't forgive myself if I ever cause you pain or... or sorrow. I don't want to hold you back, either... I want you to live your life as if I'd never existed, as long as you don't forget me."

"Mai, that won't happen."

"And why wouldn't it?!"

I paused.

Damn it.

"See, this... this is what I was trying to tell you earlier..." Mai shook her head. "I don't mind..." She tried to turn away to sit back down, but I held onto her.

"You don't get it, Mai."

"Huh?" She looked up, watching my eyes.

"I... just don't want to hurt you. I am a traveler. I'm not one to settle in any one spot... I _will_ have to leave at some point, and if... if..."

She smiled slightly. "You're afraid to get close to me for fear of hurting me when you leave. Sesshomaru, the only way you could ever hurt me is if you said you were leaving and never coming back." She shook her head. "The fact that you came back was proof enough to me that I _can_ let you go. Because I know you will always come back..."

I sighed. There really was no getting around the fact that I would be constantly worrying about her every second I was gone from her. Maybe I could just...

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Damn," Mai growled, walking away from me.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you must be in this village. There's no other explanation!"

"Damn, Jaken must've taken the two-headed dragon demon." ((**Refraining from using Ah-Un, which Rin names the yokai later in the series...**))

Mai sighed. "You know, that little green bastard has a real knack for ruining everything." I don't think I've really heard such harsh language from her before.

"You're telling me..."

Mai sat on the ground sadly. "Guess this means you're going, huh?"

I held out my hand. "One thing, first..."

She took my hand and stood back up. Mai smiled a bit.

I thought for a moment, but only a moment, before acting on an impulse. I pulled Mai close to me and kissed her. "How about you come with me?" I whispered.

She giggled, threw her arms around my neck, and kissed me again. "Sounds like a plan!"

"Perfect. Now, we shouldn't keep Jaken waiting. You can just leave everything behind, couldn't you?"

She nodded. "I don't have much here anymore, but I am going to miss the memories... My mother's blood is stained on this land. I've only stayed for that reason. But you're more important, now. I will leave everything behind if it means being with you."

I smiled. "Then let's go." I led her out of the hut.

"I would've figured as much. Lord Sesshomaru, can we please be on our way?"

"Absolutely. Mai, would you rather walk?"

She shrugged. "I don't mind."

Jaken's jaw practically hit the floor. "She's coming with us?!"

"Of course I am, silly." She tapped his head with her hand.

Jaken shook his head. "You've really lost it now, Sire..."

_Oh, you have no idea._ "Let's go."

Mai jumped up and sat on the dragon yokai, lying flat against his back before long. "You know, Jaken... You should just sit on this guy to keep up with Sesshy."

Jaken was still in awe. "That's actually not a bad idea," Jaken muttered.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" The old man Makoto ran out, some type of pathetic weapon in his hand.

"You two go ahead. I have some business to take care of here...," I chuckled darkly, my eyes red with anger.

Jaken shook his head and ordered the dragon yokai to press on.

Mai smiled. "Catch up soon, okay?" she giggled.

I smiled and watched the villagers as they slowly came out of their huts, one by one.

Either way, by the end of the day... there'll be nothing left of this place to identify.

The snow on the ground and in the air won't stop me from tearing each one of these villagers to shreds and burning the place to the ground.

Even if I die trying...

ooo

**I know I kept you all waiting, but this has been a hectic few weeks. I'll get started on the next few chapters ASAP :D**


	8. Exhaustion

**Forgive my absence. Blame my computer. Meiko's sowwy :D**

ooo

Blood puddled around my feet, my claws dripping with the red substance. The snow began to melt quickly as the fire intensified.

I growled, my eyes burning with anger. I pulled up a bucket of ice water, washing my hands of the blood. Though the blood was gone, my mind was playing a hallucination; the blood was still there. I continued to rub my hands clean of the imaginary blood but it wouldn't go away.

I gave up, frustrated and angered, and walked away. Blood was splattered all over my outfit as well as spread throughout my hair. I'll bathe the next chance I get, considering the stench of human blood is nauseating as it is, being this close to it doesn't help much either.

I cursed quietly under my breath, "Burn in hell for your sins and shall you never return," and took off after Mai and Jaken. I voided the entire village of life, not even leaving a single plant living. It took through the night and to the morning to finish the job; I came out with some critical injuries, surprisingly.

I was thoroughly exhausted. I wanted to teach each of them a lesson for making Mai's life hell, so torture was an absolute must. After finishing them off, I burned each building to the ground, a fire so strong not even snow could stop it.

I let out a soft, solemn sigh as I flew through the early morning sky. It was easy to catch up with the others, considering they were slow, waiting for me to come back.

I landed but a few feet ahead of them, collapsing to the ground on contact.

"Sesshomaru!" Mai cried, concerned. She jumped off of the dragon demon and ran to my side. "Jaken, help me!"

Jaken seemed worried too, but I was still conscious, and he knew that.

I groaned, getting to my feet. Mai's constant instability didn't help much as she tried to support me, leading to us both tumbling back to the ground.

"Milord!" Jaken dropped his staff and rushed to our side.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Mai smiled, standing up. She brushed herself off and held out a hand for me.

I grasped it but put no weight on her as I stood up. "I'm fine."

Mai shook her head quickly. "You're bleeding badly, look at your clothes!" Thank God Mai thought it was my blood...

I looked at my hands. The blood hallucination hadn't stopped. "I'm fine, Mai. Really. It's nothing."

Mai closed her eyes tightly and looked away. "No, you're not! You're injured..."

Jaken laughed. "Foolish girl, don't you know anything?"

I wanted to kick Jaken and send him flying but I was afraid I would fall back over. "I just need to rest. Don't worry about me, I heal quickly."

She still seemed worried. "Come on. There's a lake nearby. You need to wash up."

I agreed and let her lead me off. I trusted her, for once in my life I actually trusted a human, so I closed my eyes and rested. That is, until the small girl pushed me into the freezing cold water.

When I surfaced, I opened my eyes and stared directly at a towering Mai.

She was laughing quietly. "I'm not letting you out until you're clean! Give me your clothes, I'll wash them for you."

I shook my head. "You were forced to do others' work long enough. I'll do it myself," I offered.

"No! I serve under you now. I'll do it." She held out her hands.

I growled. "Mai, I want to get something set straight. You do _not_, under any circumstances, _serve_ me. I'm not your master!" I let my feet rest on the bottom of the cold lake.

Mai blinked. She didn't seem to understand. Her entire life she'd been taught to serve those that overpowered her. Those that headed the village must've taught her an incorrect view of love. They must've told her something similar to, "Love isn't a relationship, but an agreement keeping the woman serving their master, the man."

Of course, that's typical of this time. It's not surprising, but that's not how love truly works.

Reluctantly, I rolled my eyes and shed my clothes, bloody water dripping from them as I handed her the bundle. I swam to the edge and set down my spiked pauldron, along with my shoes.

"Thanks!" she giggled, walking off to a separate part of the lake.

Jaken sat respectively by a tree, watching the two-headed dragon demon. "You sure are acting different, Sire."

I sighed and dove under the water, swimming off as to avoid the conversation. I wasn't sure how long I'd have to stay in the lake, considering all the layers of my clothes were saturated with both blood and water. I would have to wait for them to dry or mull through the freezing cold air against damp clothes.

Once I was far enough away from Jaken and Mai, I resurfaced and leaned against a large rock near a waterfall. The water was extremely cold, a sensation that rarely bothered me.

I got a good look at my injuries. They were already beginning to heal, not surprisingly enough. I've never felt so drained after attacking such simple humans, let alone leaving with such injuries... All I needed was a small break and this stop should pretty much do it.

Now I had some time to think in peace.

Mai was pretty mature for someone with the mind of an eight-year-old. She handled rough situations with determination and awkward situations with ease. For instance, it is respectful to leave someone privacy while changing, but Mai had reasons to stay. She said nothing and barely reacted when I handed her my clothing. With nothing more than a giggle she left. If she was as immature as others set her out to be she would've reacted much more differently.

I closed my eyes and rested my head against the rock behind me.

The numbing sensation the cold water brought was nothing and I ignored it, waiting for the next event. I sat there in the water for quite some time before hearing Mai's voice call my name.

"Sesshomaru?!"

My eyes shot open and I looked around. I couldn't see Mai past the intervening rocks and boulders so I swam back through.

She smiled brightly, waving. "I've got your clothes clean and dry!"

Jaken stood up and tended to the frightened yokai next to him.

"They're over there!" She pointed out the patch of trees and bushes, my clothes folded neatly on the other side.

I nodded and sunk below the water line, swimming over there. I peeked my head over the edge, surveying the area. Surprisingly enough, Mai wasn't lying; my clothes were completely dry, despite the fact that they were dripping wet not too long ago.

I quietly wondered to myself as I got out of the water and dressed myself. I tied my obi tight and stepped bare-footed through the bushes. "How did you manage to get my clothes dry?"

Mai idly rubbed her upper left arm. "...I... don't know...," she muttered.

I sighed, giving up the argument, walking over to where I'd left my pauldron and shoes. I affixed the pauldron back over my chest and shoulder, and put my shoes back on. "Let's go."

Mai nodded. I could tell the cold weather was starting to get to her once more. She'd gone through the entire night with only the warmth from the dragon yokai, and he's cold-blooded. Mai will suffer soon if she doesn't get some warmth and shelter from the snow.

There was a strange aura in the air, though. It was within the vicinity, if not, directly next to me. I looked at Mai. "Are you all right?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Just fine. Why do you ask, Sesshy?"

I shook my head. "It's not important."

She waited a moment before brushing it off. "If you say so."

I walked over and rested a hand on her shoulder. To my surprise, she was incredibly warm. It wasn't like a fever, no. It was an unnatural heat source keeping her warm. The source was weak and untraceable, unfortunately. I didn't trust it for a second.

"Jaken, did you encounter anyone in my absence?"

The imp shook his head. "Of course not. I haven't seen anyone else since the village."

"Have you sensed any demons?"

He shook his head once more.

I hummed in dissatisfaction. "Let's go, then." I leaned over and picked Mai up just as she started to walk off, cradling her in my arms.

"Hey, hey! A little warning next time, would you?" Mai laughed, her breathing erratic from the surprise.

My blood had cooled exponentially from the ice-cold water of the lake and her external heat source would help us both stay warm. So, I opted to carry her for the time being. Or, at least, until I could track where the heat source is coming from.

ooo

By nightfall, we still hadn't reached a warmer climate, the snow falling much thicker now. I advised both Mai and Jaken to stay in a cave we discovered while I went off to do... something slightly more interesting.

Mai, being as ornate and obstinate as she is, followed me to the top of the hill and sat by my side. "What are you doing, Sesshy?"

I kept my eyes on the stars, my gaze not faltering even as Mai leaned against me. "Enjoying nature," I told her plainly, as if it were a daily commodity.

Mai smiled. "It's nice, isn't it?"

A shooting star flew by just as she spoke. "It's entertaining enough." I turned to look at her, her eyes closed as she rested against me. I let a subtle smile play out across my lips.

Mai looked up at me after a moment, curious as to why I was watching her so intently. "Something on your mind?"

I didn't respond directly, "Are you feeling all right?"

She waited a moment before replying, "I'm fine. I removed my bandages last night. I don't know what you did but I don't have a scratch on me. Even the one you didn't touch on my back is gone..."

I blinked a couple times. "Nice to know you're all right." I lifted her chin up so she was looking directly at me, the hand she had resting on my chest tensing up. Her eyes were confused as I searched their endless silver trails. There wasn't a single light source around yet her eyes sparkled like it was high noon, twinkling like stars in twilight.

The slight smile I had turned bright and mysterious as I leaned down to kiss her. Something was strange, then. The instant I kissed her, the mysterious heat source vanished and the air turned cold. Mai's heart rate now racing.

She giggled quietly and readjusted herself so she had her head and partially her back resting in my lap. "What a view, huh?"

I looked up at the stars, utterly confused now. "It's always a pleasure to have a star-lit night," I told her in lieu of asking about the sudden change in temperature.

"I wasn't talking about the stars, but they're nice, too," she smiled, looking directly towards the sky now.

"Mai...," I began, "Can I ask you something?" I continued without waiting for a response, "What do you think... love is?"

She readjusted her legs, a little restless from the question. "Uhm... I was never truly taught... I always thought it was something you just knew."

I shook my head. "Why do you think you serve under me, as you put it?"

She thought for a moment. "Mai always watched how Master Makoto treated her and assumed that was just how it was. Women serve men, right?"

I breathed in and let out a low growl. "That's customary, but I will never see you as a servant. Mai, I know your childish mind can only discern so much but love is something much more than that. I will never treat you like a servant, you're a living being and should be treated like someone with feelings."

As those words escaped my lips, I realized I was going against everything I was taught. Humans should never be treated like something with feelings, or at least, that's what the unwritten laws are for us demons. I betrayed my code of conduct by falling for Mai, I don't know why I'm worrying about doing that now.

The air became morbidly cold withing the next dreadful minute. Mai was silent, taking in everything I had just told her.

With a quick shudder, I looked back up at the sky, leaving everything at that.

Mai furrowed her brow and rolled over, now lying on her side in my lap.

She isn't a child but she does need to be taught as if she were one, not treated like some servant girl. She deserves respect, even if she doesn't know everything. I'll do my best to teach her all I can, but one thing I'll never do is give up on her.

She needs my support and love now more than ever, and all I ask is the same in return...


	9. Pain

**Ooh, story twist, story twist…**

**Thanks to one of my most recent reviews, I've got an idea for a story twist. Fortunately, no surprise-spoiling for you! Mai is **_**not**_** becoming a half-demon, as exciting as that could turn out…**

_**Ahem**_**. Anyway, no. That was just a dream our little Sesshomaru had. I thought about it long and hard, but I don't think the ending would be the same.**

**YES, YES I almost forgot! I have already written the end. Oh please oh please don't kill me.**

**Oh crap, never mind. The end was on my laptop that busted. NEVER MIND I shall write a new one when the time comes :D**

**Have fun.**

ooo

The morning came all too soon, just as I was beginning to enjoy our little stop. Once Mai was asleep, I'd put her down to rest in the cave, demanding Jaken keep a close eye on her and not to let her out until dawn.

I, however, left to wander around. I had succumbed to inhumane boredom: a state of mind almost impossible to deter in humans, twice as hard to deter in demons.

I've even heard of young scholars becoming bored with their lives, or maybe a priestess or two the same. Not entirely human beings, but human nonetheless. It's easy for them to fall to the effects of boredom, but I've never experienced it.

Mai might know something about fixing boredom. She's accomplished impossible tasks…

ooo

I sat in the middle of a circular clearing, my eyes shut. I was taking in as much as I possibly could before we all had to head off once more.

There was so much around here; the snow wouldn't stop me from enjoying it.

Small, harmless demons were left to their own accord, scavenging the wilderness for their next meal. I could hear birds flying above, their quiet yet sad songs ringing through the trees.

Then, something unexpected: erratic running pattern, unplanned movements, rough breathing… it all came to a quick and sudden halt. No movements, no noise, nothing could be heard.

I kept my eyes closed as to not warn the predator I'd heard them. I stood up slowly and looked around cautiously. There was no sign of a disturbance, even the birds hadn't flown off in a hurry.

I took in a deep breath and let out a pitiful sigh. "Such poor preparation…" Closing my eyes, I began to sit back down. Another quick burst of crushing leaves and the same erratic running pattern before something latched its arms around my neck and bowled the both of us over.

As the snow landed back on the ground around us, I looked over my shoulder and sighed.

"You can't escape me for long, rogue demon!" Mai giggled.

"Ah, a game," I rolled my eyes. "Must I play along?"

Mai tightened her grip around my neck, not posing much of a threat. "Die you foul beast, for I shall murder you with my own hands!"

I raised a brow, the two of us still on the ground. "Do I have any other choice but to play?" I removed my arms out from beneath me and stood back up with little effort.

She smiled. "The beast fights back… I shall have you down again in no time!" Mai struggled futilely, my feet still firm on the ground.

I laughed quietly. _I should let her win... _"Grrr, you're foolish. You shall never win!" I played a small struggle to walk around, but quickly raced off between the trees. I was careful only to run at a mere human's speed so Mai could still hold on. "Give up?" I skidded to a stop.

Mai released her grip from around my neck and dropped to the ground directly beneath her. "I've only just begun. You haven't seen anything!"

I sighed. "What did Jaken tell you?"

She looked at me funny. "Oh, he just told me to 'Stay here and under no circumstances may you leave this cave!'."

"Was that all?" I asked before disappearing once more. I reappeared just behind Mai, a slight gust of wind following.

Mai shook her head. "I convinced him to tell me what demons and humans are really like. He told me—"

"Nothing good, I presume…"

Mai smiled. "How'd you know?"

I decided to avoid telling her it was the truth. "Don't listen to Jaken," I whispered to her.

Mai shook off the previous conversation and went directly back to the little game she'd conjured up. "Ah, smart move. I won't let you get away that easily, though!" She turned around to face me.

"Ooh, so close." I held out a hand for hers and pulled her close to me as she took it. I quickly picked her up and began running at my top speed. "I win," I told her calmly, taking no glory for the game she'd created.

Mai laughed. "I'll beat you next time. Back to the cave, demon!"

I rolled my eyes playfully, stopping just before the mouth of the cave. "Jaken, take care of this little 'problem' for me," I asked, setting Mai down.

"What problem— Oh. Her." He walked out of the cave, not too surprised to see I'd recovered Mai.

"I'm not a 'problem'!" Mai insisted. "I'm an annoyance," she laughed.

Even I got a slight laugh out of that one.

Jaken had seemed to have already grown tired of the little nuisance called 'Mai.' Even in just the short time she'd been with us, he acted like she was picking at him for years non-stop! I would smack some sense into the imp but he _is_ of use to me.

I sighed, giving up the little internal battle. "In any case, we should get moving. It's bright enough to walk without falling and the snow provides a great light source." Earlier, I had a great idea. I had a great spot in mind for a little… entertainment, minus all the stress.

Mai laughed. "Maybe I could help?" She held out a hand and snapped her fingers, the smallest ball of fire growing in her hand.

"Mai, how…"

She looked at me and shrugged. "I guess… my secret is out," she laughed, as if it all were nothing. "I—"

"You'll explain later. For now, let's move. Mai, be careful with that fire." I didn't want a repeat of her prior experiences. Though I was still confused and curious as to how it never fazed her once (unlike the last few times), we had to proceed quickly if we were going to make it in time.

Both Jaken and Mai nodded, Mai taking the head of the group with me. She kept her hand close to her chest, bright enough to light the way but not large enough to cause damage to either us or the trees around us.

Jaken climbed onto the two headed yokai and followed closely behind us. He ordered the beast to follow us while he caught some sleep. A silly idea, I thought, but he had the advantage and the opportunity. I don't blame him for taking it.

"Where are we going?" Mai asked quietly.

For a moment, I hadn't responded. I was deep in thought about another matter until her words registered in my mind. "Somewhere exciting."

She smiled. "Really? Oh, it sounds fun," she giggled. Mai had known nothing about where I was taking them, yet she acted as if she knew everything.

"Do you have any idea where we are going?"

"…No..." Her eyes flickered from the fire to the ground.

I watched her at the corner of my eye. "Then how could you possibly know that it's fun?"

"You said it was exciting! I assumed the word in its tense also meant fun. You would never take us anywhere boring, anyway. I don't see you as a boring person."

I looked closely at the fire in her hand as she grew aggravated. It began to grow slightly every passing second, the flames licking at the palm of her hand malevolently. "Calm down, Mai," I warned her, smothering the flame in her hand. Without oxygen, fire has no room to grow. The supernatural fire in her hands reacted in the same way and smoked out in seconds. I pulled my hands back, no severe damage done by the fire. "Fire has a tendency to grow with aggravation. At least, demonic fires do. You must stay calm."

Mai took in a deep breath, but only grew angrier from that point. "Calm? It's _freezing_ out here! No one in their right mind can stay rational in temperatures like this! I might as well light myself on fire. I'll have better chances of staying _calm_ that way."

It's so confusing, really. One moment, Mai is calm and happy. The next, she's mildly irritated. You try calming her down and she grows angrier. I've never liked children, nor do I know much about them, but Mai does seem to act like one. Maybe that's the key to understanding her? Children? My, my, yet another overwhelming task awaits me.

ooo

I decided it was best to leave Mai to herself for a while, let the snow cool her off. She would, no doubt, start chatting again when the freezing wind chill started to get to her again.

At one point she decided to help out again, lighting the road with her fire. Though, she didn't have to help out for long. The sun was up soon enough. She seemed calm, but something inside was eating at her. She had this look in her eye, I could see when ever she decided to glance over at me, which told me something was wrong.

Sadness, anger, and regret mixed together. It wasn't a pretty combination, but it was the three main emotions that made up Mai. Not to mention childish ignorance, this came at the top of the list. Any time she wasn't happy, the other three would shine through brighter than any other.

I felt extremely concerned, oddly enough. Maybe it was… pity and sympathy? I wasn't sure if something like that could rub off onto a closed-hearted individual like me. It seemed that way, though.

Normally I wouldn't care, even for Mai. Something was wrong though, and it hit a raw nerve.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, most of the snow had melted. With the looming clouds overhead, I could tell it would snow again soon.

"Mai," I called out.

She growled, "Bite me."

I sighed. "Mai…" _God, please give me the benefit of the doubt here, I'm practically asking a fatal question. _"Is something wrong?"

"Something wrong? No, nothing's wrong." She was lying.

I wasn't going to take no for an answer when she was clearly lying. In this case, thought, I had no choice but to let things be. I had no room for argument when I had nothing against her.

Mai slowed down to the dragon yokai's pace and kept up with him and Jaken, leaving me to the head of the group.

Something suddenly hit the back of my head. It wasn't much bigger than a pebble, but it was annoying. I looked over my shoulder, Mai looking the other direction, Jaken still sleeping. I sighed and looked ahead again.

Another hit my head again. I quickly, yet calmly, looked over my shoulder, Mai staring at me with deep intent. She stuck her tongue out at me and screwed up her face. "Meanie," she grumbled.

I looked straight ahead once more, trying to figure out how _I_ was the bad guy here.

A few moments later, a whole barrage of pebbles hit my head. Now I was ticked.

I turned around slowly, no longer walking. I shot Mai a glare.

Mai's eyes went wide, almost fearful.

One instant, I was standing before her and the yokai. The next, I was holding Mai up into the air, my right hand clasped around her fragile neck. "Listen and listen good. Don't _ever_ piss me off. I don't know what kind of a hell-bent mood you're in right now but you don't want to mess with me in the process."

She reached up, trying to pry her neck free of my grasp.

I quickly realized what I was doing and set her down, turned around, and continued walking off again without another word.

My temper had set me off and I'd lost control of my mind. Typically, I wouldn't worry, but I had done what I'd killed all those villagers for doing.

Mai knelt to the ground, desperate for a breath of air. She fell behind for a moment but caught up soon, seeing as the two headed dragon demon had stayed behind to watch over her.

I looked at my hands, the hallucination of blood still staying strong, only to have it worsen with the pain I'd just caused Mai. Something was heavy on my conscience and I couldn't figure out what it was…


	10. Apology

"Finally, we're here."

Mai took a cautious look around. "Really? W-we're here? This… this is it?"

Wonderful. Now Mai's afraid to speak. Either that or I'd done more damage than I'd thought…

"Yes, Mai. This is it. Feel free to look around while I go have a talk with someone." I rested a caring hand on her shoulder, trying to ease the tension.

She looked over at me with a brilliant smile before running off to explore.

It was nice to see her happy again. After our little confrontation, Mai had been quiet and kept to herself. I almost missed her mindless chattering.

The village we'd arrived at was high enough to have escaped the snow, but low enough to keep from freezing altitude temperatures. Though, that wasn't the only reason this was devoid of the evidence that weather hit here at all. This village was demonic. Jaken should remember it well.

"Sire, isn't this…"

"Yes, Jaken. I'm glad you remember. I assume you have business here, as do I."

The imp nodded. "I'll catch up with you later, milord!" Jaken called out, running off towards his destination.

I turned towards the dragon yokai. "Watch after Mai," I demanded, walking off as well.

The yokai let out a low, content grumble and laid down on the cool ground.

I looked at my surroundings, noting the few changes that had overcome the area. I wouldn't exactly call this a village, considering it's more like a gathering spot. Passing demons were welcome to stay the night in the inn or join the festivities. This was the kind of place where you put all differences aside and acted as equals. I always assumed the effects worked due to some spell placed on the mountain long ago.

Judging by the looks of the afternoon sky, they'll probably be throwing another… bash, of sorts, while the night's young. If you could at least behave like you were civilized for a few hours, you were welcome to join.

I fear that Mai won't be so welcome here, though. If there's one thing the spell doesn't ward off is the hatred demons hold towards humans. But if anyone even thinks of laying a hand on her, they better think twice or they'll find themselves in hell sooner than they ever imagined.

ooo

"Sesshomaru! Its nice to see you. I never thought you'd show your treacherous face around here again," the old man laughed. He was one of the old sages. He considered me to be a traitor after I disagreed to work with him on some devious plot of his. I simply told him I worked alone and that was that.

I kept a straight face and answered him calmy, "I highly doubt you are the one I should be talking to at the moment."

"Nonsense! I run the place now, after…," he rubbed his bald head in a moment of grief, "after Hisao was brutally murdered."

"Ironic name," I looked at the man closely. **((Hisao means long-lived man, for those of you that don't know. Hey, I could be wrong. But it doesn't hurt to be wrong, unless it's rocket science :D))**

Kenta laughed. "He did live a long life, but it came to a sudden and quick end."

"Who is at fault?"

With a sly look in his eye, he responded, "I am."

For a moment I didn't understand what he meant. Kenta went on to elaborate.

"Hisao and I went out for a little hunt and we messed with the wrong people. I wasn't strong enough to hold them off and they took him and killed him without mercy. But, hey, that's the risk you're born with being born demonic, right?"

I quickly agreed and changed the subject. "What about tonight's festival?"

"Ahh, the festival. The moon is high tonight, directly overhead. We'll be able to contact the lost spirits."

My gaze shifted around the small room. "The ones that couldn't cross over, nor could they be reincarnated."

"Correct. A sorcerer stopped in recently and he said he would like to help with their little problem…"

"Helping them cross over," I nodded.

"No, obliterating them." He smiled.

I laughed in disbelief. "You're kidding."

He shook his head.

"No living thing should have to witness such an event. I can't imagine a worse fate than having your soul ripped apart. Its worse than torture."

An evil, fanged smile curled on Kenta's face. "Precisely."

I turned and left the small structure without another word. My first intentions were to take Mai and Jaken and leave, considering the festival activities weren't appropriate for anyone. But I got to thinking, that wasn't the problem. I had business here, and I had to stay until it was taken care of.

ooo

"…What's this?" Mai asked, taking the strange, paper-wrapped, twine-tied package I handed her.

"Consider it an apology." I never was good with words.

Mai watched me for a moment, watching for a tell. She cautiously looked down towards the package in her hands and sat down on the ground in a clumsy fashion. She carefully untied the twine bow and tugged at the paper. Mai cocked her head to the side and mumbled quietly, "The Chinese dragon…"

"Yes. If I'm not mistaken it is the same red Chinese dragon as the one on your festive kimono."

She carefully held up the white silk and studied it carefully. "It's… nice," she said humbly, brushing the soft silk against her cheek. "Sesshomaru… you did spend an awful lot on Mai, didn't you?"

I contemplated the different possible answers to tell her, finding only one would suit her. Simply put, "I did," as if to leave no further pending question.

"It's nice," Mai repeated without the prior pause.

I hummed for a moment, satisfied.

She buried her face in the silk kimono for a moment then looked to me for an answer. "Why do you care so much about Mai? No one else ever has. No one else has ever thought I was worth anything more than—"

"But you are, Mai. I can see more than you can by looking at your own reflection. Your low self esteem doesn't allow you to see more than a servant girl. I see you from a new perspective, one unbiased by the world around us." I held out my hand to help her up.

Once on her feet, Mai handed me the twine and paper. She held the kimono to herself and I got my first good look at the fine silk article.

The red dragon was interrupted on each side of her chest, but it would sit nicely and lined up well when tied with an obi. The rest of the kimono was pure white. The style was simple yet elegant, which I thought greatly off-set Mai's personality.

Mai folded the kimono and held it close to her. She walked up to me and stood up on her toes. As if at a loss for words, she kissed me for a moment and soon began to walk off.

I chuckled lightly to myself before heading in the opposite direction. There was a well in the center of this small village and it seemed like the only option at the time. Nothing entertaining was happening, so maybe some rest might come in handy.

Once at the well, I sat down, my back leaning against the cold, stone surface. I stretched one leg out, the other close to my chest. "Mai, you are wearing me out," I mumbled to myself, finding that I was more exhausted than my body wanted to lead on.

I had never really grown tired in my life. I hadn't the need for sleep nor did I think of it. Meeting Mai seemed to change that. Her little quirks broke my immunity to exhaustion and now I feel weak, like a human.

Humans get tired; they work all day, they eat their dinner, then they rest until dawn. They repeat that process for the rest of their monotonous lives. I have their stamina, one hundred-fold. So how is it possible that this simple human girl can drain so much of my energy?

Well, like I said, Mai has surpassed many impossible tasks before. Its bound to happen again.

I closed my eyes and sighed, drifting off a bit.

"Bored?"

I shook my head and grumbled, "Tired," to the familiar voice.

"Ah. I'm thankful." She rested her head on my arm.

"For what, Mai?"

"For a lot of things, really." She seemed to be thinking rationally now, her thoughts and words mature for the moment.

"Anything in particular?" I asked, my tone never changing from plain, yet curious.

She shook her head, her left temple rubbing against my arm. "Mainly, you."

I smiled lightly at the contradicting answer and gesture. "How late is it?"

She lifted her head up towards the sky. "Past sundown. Jaken and I have been searching for you for a while."

I let out a held breath through my nose. "So I haven't been here long." Judging by the amount of sunlight we had when we arrived, which wasn't much, and the time we spent roaming around, I hadn't been there longer than it took the sun to set.

She shook her head and spoke quietly, "Are you okay?"

I didn't answer directly. "You think something is wrong?"

"Jaken told me that you never used to sleep. That is, until you met me."

My thoughts exactly. "Nothing is wrong, Mai. I assure you." I opened my eyes to take a look at the new night sky.

"Are we going to the festival?" she asked.

I shook my head. "We were. It's best we don't."

She sighed. "Is it because I'm human?"

"No. That wouldn't matter in any case. Their activities for the night aren't something a human should witness, let alone a demon. It's unjust." I turned to look at her, kissing the top of her head. "Trust me on this one."

She giggled quietly. "So… now what, then?"

I quickly noticed something was different about her. "Your hair is up."

She smiled. "Yep."

"…And you're wearing your new kimono."

Her smile grew and she closed her eyes. "Of course." Mai's childish side took over once more, something I missed for the past few minutes. "I'll have to get used to it. It's not much longer than my last one **((Which was pretty damn short in the first place!!!))** but it is thicker." She tugged at the fabric sitting above her knees. "It won't provide much warmth. I thought about layering it like those fancy geishas like do to so much, but I remembered I'm nothing like them. I'm not even pretty enough for a head of the village to show off to passing men."

I laughed at her lack of knowledge. "If anyone is showing you off it would be me. You're untouchable to everyone else, remember?"

"Do you think I could pass as one of those pretty ladies?" she asked.

"Mai, not only are they born into it, but it's almost slavery. They're paraded around like they are useless, even if they are considered beautiful and flawless by _some_."

She sighed. "You… didn't answer my question…"

I looked at her.

Mai stood up. "It's fine. Really." She brushed off her elegant new kimono and began to walk off.

I grasped her hand, pulling her back to sit down. "You didn't let me answer," I laughed. "I didn't answer because you didn't let me. Plus, I'm not done with you yet. We still have something to talk about."

Confused, she looked at me and sat down. "…Go on, Sesshomaru."

"I don't think you could pass for one of them because you're too beautiful. The others will be much too jealous. Plus, geishas have to be unattached…"

She giggled. "Thank you… But what else did you want to talk about?"

"Earlier you were able to control fire, correct?" I carefully grasped her left hand once more, rolling up the silk sleeve of her kimono. I tapped the stone in the center of the armband curiously. "You weren't afraid," I told her, rather than asking. I knew for a fact that she wasn't.

She quickly pulled the sleeve back down and took her arm back defensively. "…I know… You needed help! I was just chipping in."

"Mai not too long ago you wouldn't even think of doing that, and you didn't even flinch at the thought."

She nodded. "I know… I just feel safer now. I trust you… You always made it better when I've gotten hurt. I know you'll still help me if I do, so I didn't _have_ to think twice."

Right then I understood perfectly. It was logical, now if she could just manage to learn to master the damned thing completely. It would save us both a lot of stress, and she could defend herself if I happened to not be there.

"So… what do we do now?"

I smiled and brought my arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to me. "Now, we wait for something better."

The thundering sound of drums vibrated through the air, along with joyous laughter and hollers.

Mai groaned. "I'll take care of them." She stood up and clenched her fists.

Confused, I didn't try to stop her. I could tell she wanted to go to the festival, she'd always seemed to be one for parties and such. Jealousy made her want to stop their party. And, she did.

Mai buried their little party in at least eight feet of snow. This place being of demonic nature kept our natural weather. It said nothing about keeping out demonic weather!

The snow slid off unstable regions, some managing to reach us.

Mai and I laughed, our childish mischief giving me an idea. "Run before they catch us!" I grabbed Mai's hand and quickly but gently pulled her away. _To find Jaken… _"Jaken!" I called out, seeing the green imp sleeping by the dragon yokai. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

He cleared his throat, waking up in a rush, "As a matter of fact—"

"Not now, we need to leave. Immediately!"

Mai giggled.

"What's so funny?" Jaken asked.

"Oh… nothing…"


	11. Fishing

"We aren't doing much today," I yawned, looking up towards the sky.

Mai and Jaken seemed confused. "Really? Why not?" Mai asked.

I shrugged. "I haven't made a plan yet. We have no need to go anywhere today, so… let's just take a break."

Mai giggled, jumping up and down. "Oh, yay! You mean have some fun, right?"

I yawned again. "You can have some fun. I'm taking a _break_."

Jaken agreed, sitting down next to me against the tree.

Mai groaned, "But Sesshy, it's no fun without you!"

I closed my eyes. "What did you do before you met me?" I asked, realizing the answer only seconds later. "Well… why don't you go fishing? There's a river just down there." I pointed across the field, showing her a small hill, the river just below.

"Mai… doesn't know how to fish…," she admitted weakly, pulling her hair back up into a ponytail with her ribbon.

Jaken stifled a laugh.

Trying to keep the little green brat in one piece, I thought about other options for her that didn't involve me for the time being. Mai doesn't fight, or have much of a weapon of her own. If she could learn how to fight, that would be great. But… that involves me.

She doesn't know how to fish, but I would have to teach her.

She could pick flowers, but there aren't many around here worth picking. Either that or they're literally alive and planted there for a specific reason.

She could… Hey, where'd she go?

"Mai?" I looked around, not yet standing up. "Mai, where are you?"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken interjected. "Maybe she's gone for good? Who knows, maybe she went home?" He laughed it over.

I clenched my teeth, picked my right arm up, and pushed Jaken over. Hey, it was better than beating the shit out of the little guy. I sighed and looked around again. I couldn't see anything or even hear anything out of the ordinary. "Mai…"

"Up here, Sesshomaru!" Mai waved, standing on a high-up branch in a distant tree. "I think I found something to do!" she giggled.

I stood up quickly. "Mai, get down before you hurt yourself!"

"You have to catch me first!"

Oh, that's not fair. She _wanted_ to get me up just so she could play her little game. That's not even close to fair.

Mai laughed a bit before jumping from the branch she was on to the tree beside her. I cringed, wondering if I would have to catch her at the large chance she would miss. Something wasn't right, though. She was being aided by strong wind. She could jump a lot further and still make it if she wanted to. I didn't have anything to worry about for the time being.

"I'm not going to run after you Mai," I told her calmly, walking out into the middle of the large field. I sat down in the direct center, watching her race around in the trees.

"Aww, please? I just want to have some fun." She stopped, leaning against the middle stalk of the tree.

I shook my head.

"Well, then. I'm not coming down. If you want me safely on the ground then you have to come and get me yourself!"

I only had a moment to think, considering Mai would take that risk, too. Then, I decided to have a little fun of my own…

"Mai, I'm not coming after you," I laughed, standing up. I walked over to the hill, looking down at the river below. It seemed pretty deep. Mai would probably be in the river up to her waist if she stood up straight. I would be in up to my knees, maybe a bit deeper.

The water was clear, the sun reflecting off of it brightly. I could see quite a few fish swimming around, trying to beat the light current. Large rocks interrupted the smooth flow, the bed covered in naturally polished stones. This was just another wonder of our incredible world.

**((Thank you AnimeLove0713 for this next part!))**

"Leave me up in the trees, will you?!" Mai shouted.

I turned around just in time to see her run into me, sending us both to the ground. Sadly, I was on the edge of the hill, and we tumbled all the way down. We ended up lying on the riverbed after the long way down.

I opened my eyes, searching through the clear water for Mai. She was already on her feet. I carefully pushed myself up off of the ground and stood up, hearing Mai's laughter.

"Oh, that was good! I never thought I'd actually knock you down!" Her laughter was uncontrollable, even slightly contagious.

I kept myself from laughing, though my mind was interrupted by something else. Mai looked at me for a moment, trying not to laugh as I pulled a small fish from my mouth. "Oh, that's disgusting." I dropped it back into the water, trying to rid myself of the slimy taste.

"Ha! Oh, my God, that's hilarious!" Mai laughed, falling back over into the water.

"So much for keeping my clothes dry," I sighed, pulling Mai out of the water.

She had the largest grin on her face. "I didn't know that was how you were supposed to catch fish," she giggled, kicking her feet in the air as she sat cradled in my arms.

I forced a sarcastic laugh. "It's not," I told her, a slight retch from the absolutely putrid taste.

"No… no, put me back down," she told me, still laughing.

I carefully set her down, making sure she was stable on her feet.

Mai giggled, the fish curiously swimming around our feet. "Aren't they cute?"

"I'll tell you this much: I won't look at fish the same way again…"

Mai trudged through the water over to me, searching for my left hand. She stood up on her toes and kissed my cheek. "For someone so familiar with the wilderness, I never thought you'd have so much trouble with it."

"I don't, typically," I mumbled. "Mai, are you all right?" I asked, a familiar scent in the air.

She nodded. "Why, is something wrong?"

I looked at her closely, a large gash on her face. The wound hadn't just started bleeding, but the water was no longer carrying it off. "Come here," I said quietly, walking around so I was facing her now. I put a hand on each side of her face, putting my left thumb right beneath the wound. "This could've been a lot worse…"

"What is it?" she asked, worried. She reached a hand up to her face, touching the wound. Pulling her hand back, she saw the blood on her fingertips. "Is it bad? I can't tell. It doesn't hurt."

"The fact that you don't feel the pain could be very bad. Let's at least get out of the water." This isn't exactly something I wanted to do today…

Once Mai and I were out of the water, Mai offered to help out. "I could… I could help out with something, I know. What can I do?"

I shook my head. "I'll fix it. Just relax, ok? If your heat beats faster, you'll only bleed more. Just hold still." With the lack of pain from the wound, I was able to do more. I carefully looked at the gash going from just above her eyebrow to the top of her left cheek. Nothing had punctured her eye, at least, nothing that I could see. It wasn't that deep, but it was a risky injury.

"Do me a favor and cover your left eye."

She laughed. "I feel funny," she said, looking only through her right eye now.

"You can see, right?"

She nodded. "Can I put my hand down now?"

I shook my head. "Cover your right eye."

She covered her right eye, but kept her left eye closed.

"Can you open your left eye at all?"

She clenched her jaw. "It feels funny."

"You need to try."

She hummed in dissatisfaction, trying her best. She managed to get the eye open, but what happened next didn't put either of us in a good mood. "Sesshomaru… I can't… see…" She didn't sound concerned, just confused.

I tried to think quickly, running all the possibilities through my mind. "You… can see, but not clearly, right?" I asked, in hopes her eye was just out of focus from the river water.

She shook her head. "I can see light, but I don't see anything else. It's not even blurry."

"Do you know how you got the wound in the first place?"

Mai sighed. "I had one similar when I was younger. I was attacked by a cat demon. I must've hit something on the bottom of the river."

"How did they treat your initial wound?" I asked, assuming if it was similar enough, I could fix it myself with her help.

She placed the hand covering her right eye on the wound, depression setting in. "They stitched up the wound with some thread they had, but my eye wasn't harmed at all."

"Mai, hold still for a moment." I held her head still and her left eye open. Her eye was completely unscathed. Untouched. Unharmed. There is no reason she shouldn't be able to see. "Do you think this has anything to do with your prior blindness?" I asked.

She tried to move her head but I wouldn't let her. "No, I couldn't see light when I was blind before. Let me go!" she demanded.

I shook my head. "Hold still, damn it."

She growled. "Fine, but don't expect me to be very happy about it." She folded her arms across her chest. "Can I at least dry my clothes? I'm freezing."

"Fine, but make it quick." I let her go, sitting directly in front of her.

She smiled, holding her hands out in front of her. Concentrating, her eyes began to give off a light purple glow, but it faded. "Sorry… my concentration is a little off. Let me try again." And she did, succeeding this time around. "Your welcome, she smiled, having dried my clothes as well.

I laughed. "Thanks." Suddenly, I felt a strange aura. It wasn't from Mai, considering her powers had unique and familiar traces when she used them. In fact… the aura seemed similar to the one I'd sensed back when it was snowing.

Actually, it was identical to the one keeping Mai warm.

Something was terribly wrong.

"Mai, we have to go."

"Why, we were just—"

"Ask questions later." I stood up, quickly pulling Mai to her feet. "I know your perception is a little off right now, but I need you to follow after me as quickly as you can." I ran off, just fast enough so Mai could keep up.

Jaken was gone. So was the dragon yokai. Traces of the same aura were extremely strong here. They hadn't left, they'd been kidnapped.

"Sesshomaru, what's wrong?" Mai asked quietly.

"Jaken's been kidnapped."

She laughed. "Is he really worth going after?"

"So I see the feeling is mutual," I told her, trying to keep the jokes to a minimum. "We need to get going if we're going to find him. Whoever took them is after you… for an odd reason."

"Why would anyone want me? I'm not important."

I didn't have time to argue with her for now, so I left that well enough alone. "You must have something of great value to them," I told her, implying the arm band.

She held her upper left arm tightly, afraid of losing her prized possession. "No! I won't let them take what little I have left of my mother!"

"Then we need to get going, Mai. Climb onto my back. We'll make better time if I run."

She agreed and locked her arms around my neck.

I could tell this story wasn't going to have a pretty ending. Something was bound to go wrong, and no doubt Mai would be in the middle of all of this.


	12. Decisions

"How do you know where to go?"

"I can't explain it."

"Are we there yet?"

"Not yet, Mai."

A few minutes passed. "…How 'bout now? Are we there yet?"

I growled. "Not yet, Mai."

"When will we get there?"

I didn't answer.

"Sesshomaru…"

"You'll know when we're there, Mai. Trust me."

"How will I know?"

I growled. "When we stop running and I let you off my back, you'll know we're there."

"……….I'm bored."

"Oh, my God. Mai, if you're bored… I don't even know how to tell you to fix it. Just relax."

She let out a deep, pitiful breath. "But—"

"Hush."

She sighed, resting her chin on my shoulder.

Mai doesn't even seem the slightest bit worried about her eye. It doesn't seem to be bleeding anymore, but I'll bet anything she still can't see out of it. And she's not even the slightest bit worried!

Sadly, I can't even be worried about it at the moment. I hate to say it but we have a bigger problem. Not that Mai's injury isn't of critical importance, but her life will be in serious danger if we don't take care of whoever this person is.

If it even is a _person_…

ooo

"Stay here."

"Why?!"

"Shh, be quiet, Mai!" I silenced her, for fear of being spotted. "You have to trust me. Stay out of sight and protect yourself in any way possible if someone sees you, all right?"

She nodded, frightened by my sudden demand. I could see Mai wanted to go with me, but it wasn't an option. It was much too dangerous and I wasn't about to risk her life for Jaken's.

Opting not to open the large, wooden door, I found the nearest opening in the overhead fencing and jumped over the wall, landing on the dirt on the opposite side. I crouched low to the ground, one hand keeping me steady.

I took a good look around. The entire palace-like structure seemed to be empty, but it was obvious there was more than what I could see. I stood up straight, walking around. A fresh human corpse had been leaned up against the stone wall, dressed like a palace guard. The man had been killed only days prior.

"Good, that means someone's been here recently."

The strange aura hung thick overhead; no doubt this was the home of the demonic creature.

Another corpse not too far away, shot three times in the upper-left chest with arrows. These men had been killed using traditional methods, not the likely traits of a demon's work…

"Hi, Sesshomaru!"

I turned around. "Mai?! What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

Her excited expression turned confused. "The front door was open."

I rolled my eyes, sighing. "Well, go back. It's too dangerous."

She looked around. "Doesn't look dangerous to me!"

"Be quiet. We don't want to get spotted."

Mai shrugged. "I can help you find Jaken." She soon crouched low to the ground, placing one hand on the dirt in front of her. "He's in an underground dungeon. The dragon yokai is with him as well. The palace is a decoy." She stood up, brushing off her hands.

I didn't have time to ask questions. "Good, now go back."

She pursed her lips, folded her arms across her chest, and glared at me. "I'm going with you."

"As much as I don't want to do this, I must." I took a hold of her left arm and removed the elemental armband. I turned around and began walking away after putting the armband safely away. "Go back or I'll take you back whether you want to or not."

With no response, I assumed she had begun going back, too pissed off to reason with me. Then I heard a frightened, and cut-short scream.

I quickly turned around, Mai nowhere to be seen. "Mai?!" I shouted, with no response. "Mai?!" I called out again.

The sky grew dark, an unnatural breeze picking up. A young man slowly appeared before me, walking in my direction. "Hello, Sesshomaru. I assume you'll want your human back," he laughed.

His appearance was dark, an unmistakable evil demonic figure at first glance. He looked something of a sorcerer, a silver, almost tiara-like metal band sat around his head, holding a stone similar in look to Mai's. The stone was set directly in the middle of the band, the metal curling it around to sit nicely in the middle of the man's brow.

His clothing was fine, protecting him from the effects of magic. A hooded cloak was wrapped around him, the hood not covering his head. He wore no shoes, not surprising, considering he looked like he rarely walked anywhere.

His eyes were a piercing red, yet they seemed calm, and they sparkled like Mai's. His canine teeth were fanged, his smile nothing less than malevolent. His hair was jet black, cut short, and even spiked, an unlikely combination these days. His left eyebrow carried a scar, similar to the one Mai is likely to keep from today's injury.

"Who are you, and what do you want with Mai?"

"Mai? Oh, I've always loved that name…" He looked away for a moment. "How rude, I know your name but I never introduced myself. My name is Ryuu. I am a sorcerer demon."

I growled. "You never answered my question."

"Your question… Oh, right, right. I want your little Mai for… personal reasons. She has something of… sentimental value to me."

"What could she have of yours? She's a human with almost no prior knowledge of demons. She's not important," I lied.

"You're lying, dear Lord Sesshomaru." He held out his hand, a staff appearing into his hand in a flash of light. "I don't want to have to put you near death to get some answers out of you."

"Let Mai be and you won't have to."

He smiled a crooked smile. "That's very heroic of you, though I wouldn't expect such compassion from you, a demon that holds such hatred for humans." Ryuu laughed. "That's right, Sesshomaru. Your hatred for humans runs deeper than you can fix with something as simple as 'love.' "

I wasn't in a position to argue with him. "What do you want, Ryuu?"

He clapped his hands, the staff hovering over the ground until his hand held it once more. "Now we're getting somewhere. Let's talk compromise." He tapped the staff on the ground twice, an almost board-game-like surface appearing.

There were five tokens present, one seeming to represent the 'players' in the game so far. "Your little imp and dragon yokai have yet to seem to cross your mind. You're only focused on your precious Mai." He picked up one small token and set it back down in a box on the board similar to a box housing two other tokens on the opposite side of the board. "What you haven't done is considered everything done thus far.

"Jaken and… we'll call the dragon yokai 'Ryota' from now on. So, Jaken and Ryota aren't major players here, or so you've led me to believe. If we continue to play out the game in correspondence to importance, this is what will happen."

The tokens began moving. One token—which I assumed to be Ryuu—moved over to where Mai's token was. The token I assumed to be me moved over to where 'Ryota' and Jaken's tokens were. "You'll end up saving the wrong people, while Mai…," he refocused on the board, where Mai's token was destroyed. "It'll be too late for her and you won't make it to her before I do.

"So, my dear Lord Sesshomaru… I suggest you make a new plan." He tapped his staff again, the board disappearing. He tossed a token up and down, waiting for my next 'move.'

"You expect a steep compromise, when all I'll get in return is a promise you have no intention of keeping."

"Good boy, now you're getting it!" he laughed. "Now… I'll give you some time to think. In the meantime… Mai and I are going to have a little fun of our own." Ryuu disappeared in a flash of light nothing but silence around me.

Now what am I going to do? Any direction I turn, it all ends up in Mai dying. And she can't even protect herself! I took the armband from her… How could I have been so stupid!

No… No, it's perfect.

That's it! That's my key to saving Mai!

ooo

**Forgive me, all, but I have to change points of view for the time being. I'm going to change from Sesshomaru to Mai… probably until the end of the chapter. I don't see the need to change back before then. Sorry! Don't worry, it'll be back to Sesshomaru next chapter… I hope…**

ooo

"Little one… Wake up, little one…"

I opened my eyes, the dimly lit room blurry. I rubbed my eyes, listening for a familiar voice, looking for a familiar face, anything to tell me Sesshomaru was there.

"Good. You're awake, Mai."

My eyes quickly focused. The voice was familiar, but it wasn't Sesshomaru's. "Who are you?" I asked quietly, staggering to my feet.

"My name is Ryuu. I'll be keeping you company until your dog friend decides to show."

I ran forward, my hands grasping what felt like metal bars. I was locked in. "What have you done with Sesshy?!"

The dark voice chuckled. "Your friend is fine. For now. You and I, my dear, have some business of our own." A cold hand touched mine, prying my fingers from the bars.

"You can't hurt him. He's stronger than anyone!"

The man I knew as Ryuu stepped through the bars, passing through them flawlessly. A ray of sun hit his face, something I never thought I'd have to see again. "You have such a childish view on a hero. Oh, was that my fault? I'm sorry…" He laughed again.

"Its… you! You! You killed my mother!" I stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. I quickly tried to crawl away, but to no avail. I hit the stone wall behind me and turned around, tearful eyes looking for an exit.

He laughed again. "There's no use in trying to escape. You're sealed in by a barrier. Nothing can get out. Well, except me, of course." He smiled. Walking forward, he crouched low to the ground, giving me a good look-over. "You seem sad."

I tried to speak, but only quiet whimpers came through.

"Oh, frightened. My bad."

"What… what do you want from me?"

He looked up, as if he was trying to remember the point of all of this. "Oh, yes. I've already taken your sanity…" He stopped, thinking it over.

"You ruined my life! You beat me half to death and left my mental state a wreck!" I screamed at him.

He nodded. "I wonder if you ever found out what happened to your father…"

I blinked. "…Daddy? What'd you do to Daddy?!"

He didn't answer.

I tried to stop the tears from falling, but there wasn't much of a point to it. He already had such an advantage over me. I couldn't protect myself in any form or fashion. Why did Sesshomaru have to take what little I had left? He could've just left it with me. I would've kept it safe!

He brushed a hand against my cheek, taking care over my injury. "Where did you get such a terrible cut?"

I sniffed in, brushing his hand from my face. "I got it at the bottom of a river," I told him angrily.

"I'm so sorry," he smiled. "I didn't know a little magic could ever make such a pretty young girl blind in one eye."

I felt like I couldn't breathe. Hearing everything… I could really put the pieces together now. This was all his fault. "You gave me sight once before. You just decided to take it all back!" When he and his little friends raided our village before, he must've given me my sight back after beating me. God only knows why he would be so generous, but he would've been the only one to do it.

She smiled, his eyes closed. "You're a smart one. Let me help you." He took a corked, glass vial from inside of his cloak and opened it up.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It's water. Watch," He set the vial on the ground and was quickly able to manipulate it, carrying the water in mid-air. "You should know how to use it in situations like this."

I raised my uninjured eyebrow and shook my head. "I'm not thirsty, thanks."

He laughed. "No, silly. Here," the water quickly surrounded his right hand, bringing it up to cover my left eye. "It'll help."

I brought my hands up and gripped his wrist in defense. Something odd happened, though. The water began to give off a purple glow, and he pulled his hand back, putting the water back into the vial.

"There you go."

I cautiously opened my left eye, blinking them both for a moment. "…What did you do?"

"Water has healing properties. I healed your eye and cut so you wouldn't end up with a scar like mine."

I gave him a 'you must be crazy' kind of look. "You're a very nice evil person," I laughed. "You don't act very evil for someone who wants to cause serious damage…"

Changing the subject, Ryuu looked away. "Maybe… you'd like to tell me what this… is…" Ryuu pulled a large metal band off of his head, holding it out for me.

"…Jewelry?" I told him, laughing a bit despite the situation.

His expression fell serious. "No. I meant _this_." More specifically, he pointed to the stone in the middle.

I looked at it carefully, seeing the stone bare an identical resemblance to the one on my armband. "It's a nature stone…"

"Good girl. You have one of your own, don't you?"

I looked at him carefully. His eyes were evil looking. Red eyes… I've never met anyone with red eyes. They sparkle like mine do… How strange. "That would explain how you could control the water…"

Ryuu didn't seem to like me ignoring the question. He quickly set down the metal band and smacked me. "Answer me!"

I brought up my hands to tend to the new bruise on my face, trying to keep the tears back. "Yes! I have one. Don't hurt me!" I told him, my voice shaking. I pulled my knees in close to me, trying to disappear.

"Good. Let me see it."

I didn't want to tell him I didn't have it with me. It seemed to be his whole reason for capturing me in the first place. If I didn't have what he wanted, I was of no importance to him. I'm not much of anything, anyway. Ryuu could kill me off and Sesshomaru probably wouldn't mind.

"No," I told him after a moment of deep consideration.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"It's mine. It's not important to you, so why should I let _you_ see it?" I demanded a reasonable answer. More confident now, I sat up straight and pulled my legs close to my chest again. Ryuu didn't leave me much room, considering he was trying to impose a frightening disposition onto me

I didn't know how long I could handle it…

Ryuu growled. "You don't have it." He wasn't asking a question, he knew for a fact.

Instead of playing dumb, I decided to have some fun. I smiled and nodded, "I don't, but your worst enemy does."

"My worst—everyone is my enemy, dear. Now I know there's one specifically. All I have to do is trace the armband's signature and I'll find it and whoever has it."

How did he know it was an armband? He's never seen it…

"Don't call me 'dear.' "

He laughed. "I'll call you what I like. Now, I have a favor to ask. Your little Sesshomaru is making quite a mess inside my castle walls. I'd like you to take care of him for me." Ryuu picked up the metal headband from the floor and placed it on top of my head, freeing my bangs out from under it. "You can use my stone to take care of him until I get yours back."

I quickly took it off, tossing it across the room. "I'm not helping you! Especially not to kill Sesshy! I wouldn't hurt him, ever! I love him too much…"

Ryuu rolled his eyes, reaching out for the headband. It quickly returned and he placed it back on my head, fixing my hair once more. "You're too naïve. Demons and humans can _never_ coexist in harmony. Trust me, kid, it's not love. One day, you will betray your so-called 'love,' Sesshomaru, just like all the rest of them. _Just like your mother_," he mumbled.

"What?" I asked, not quite hearing him.

"Nothing. Now, if you won't do it, I'll be forced to make you do it. Making a human puppet isn't all that hard. So, am I going to have to force you?" he asked, a brow raised.

"I'll never do your dirty work." I would never willingly hurt Sesshomaru. No matter what Ryuu says, I love Sesshomaru. Ryuu will have to drag me, kicking and screaming, before he'll get me to do anything for him.

"Okay, then." Ryuu placed a hand on either side of my head, repeating some type of incantation.

My vision turned black, and before I lost consciousness, I tried to speak. "I'm so sorry, Sesshomaru…"

ooo

**Ooh, what a productive chapter! Eight pages… Almost three thousand words, too! Oh, my.**

**I'm so proud of myself!**


	13. Father

**Mmk. So, I was wrong. I'm not changing back **_**this**_** chapter, but I will next. I want to write a bit about Mai and her mother. You know, go back into the past. Tee Hee.**

**Have fun. Up now… Mai! Next chapter, Sesshy! Ps, it'll be written as 18-year-old Mai, like she's remembering it all. Kay? Kay.**

ooo

My eyes closed and I let out a soft breath.

I couldn't help but think during my unconsciousness. Ryuu was using me, magic making me dance like his little puppet. I could only imagine what he would be making me do to Sesshomaru…

In the mean time, my mind was racing, bringing old memories back to life…

ooo

"Hi, Mommy! I got you something nice!"

My mother looked up, her black hair falling in front of her eyes. She was knelt down on the ground, tending to one of the villager's toddlers, as she often did. She had some medical knowledge, and would take care of the kids every now and then. More often than the others, she would be patching me up.

She smiled. "I see you scraped your knee as well. What was your gift, baby?"

I giggled, holding out a small bunch of broken and nearly destroyed flowers. "I fell… but they're still pretty, right?"

She sighed, a proud smile still on her face. The wriggling toddler in her hands ran off, my mother finally finished wrapping an injury on his leg. She put her full attention on me, now, trying to get me to come closer.

I set the flowers down by the door and walked over, staring at the paper bandages she was unrolling. "Are you going to fix me up?"

"Real quick, but I have something important to tell you afterward." Mother always treated me like an adult, no matter how old I was. Only seven at the time, I could comprehend most things, and put everything I didn't understand in context, hoping it would all fit together at some point.

I sat down in a sloppy manner, my kimono made of old fabric gathered from other articles of clothing. It didn't matter to me at the time, I was just glad my mother was so attentive, happy to patch up my every scar.

"There you go, all done," she laughed, wrapping the last bit of my injury.

"What did you want to tell me, Mommy?"

She hummed for a moment, her brown eyes looking for an escape. That was when I knew it wasn't a conversation either of us wanted to have. "It's about your father…"

I looked at her, curious. "Is he coming home soon?" My father left to fight in the war a year prior. My mother's friend, Naomi, had her husband limp back to the village only that morning. He brought news of Father…

My mother shook her head grimly. "Your father… Honey, he won't be coming home."

"W-why not?" I watched her with tear-filled eyes, afraid the worst had happened to Father.

She looked down, but soon picked me up, setting me in her lap. She wrapped caring arms around me, holding me tightly. "Mai, your father disappeared on the battlefield. Takuya's father hasn't seen him for months…"

Takuya was Naomi's son, as well as my best friend.

I blinked, trying not to cry. One tear escaped as I spoke. "No! You're wrong. Daddy will be home soon and he'll give us both a big hug!" I stood up, running out of her grasp.

Once out of our small hut, I could hear my mother try to hold back, but she began to cry. She needed to. Father had been killed, or kidnapped. Either way, I knew Father wasn't going to come home. I just didn't want to believe it. Neither of us did…

ooo

I felt like I was standing in complete darkness, the only light shining from directly above me, lighting nothing but the next step in front of me. As I took the next step, my bare foot touching the stone step, I fell down, hitting dirt.

I fell into another memory.

ooo

I looked around, tried to push myself off of the floor. A large pang hit me. I'd made a pretty hard fall…

"Mai?! Baby, are you all right?" My mother came rushing to my side.

I nodded, getting to my feet with her help. "I'm fine, Mommy. Don't worry," I giggled. My ribs were still hurting, but Father's disappearance was still fresh on our minds. My mother needed a smile to keep her spirits up.

"Good. Good, I'm glad. Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine! I promise!" I reached out to hug her.

She laughed softly. "Good. You're just like your father, you know that?"

I looked down, my smile gone once Mother couldn't see. "Daddy?"

"Ryuu always knew how to keep us happy no matter what the circumstance. You're the same…"

Ryuu? Where do I know that name?

I sniffed in, my kid nose perpetually stuffy. "Daddy always knew so many jokes, didn't he?"

She nodded. "Mai… I have something I want to give you…" She grasped my shoulders lightly, standing up.

On my knees now, I waited for Mother to come back. When she did, she had something shiny in her hands.

"Mai, this is very special. Your father had one, he gave me one, and I feel it's become a family tradition."

"Tradition?" I asked.

She nodded, handing me a piece of jewelry, holding a stone in the center of the small band. "Tradition means… in this case, something done or given to each member of the family. It started with your Father's family, and he gave the tradition to us. Now, I want you to have one of your own…"

I looked at the band. "Mommy, the bracelet's too big for me."

She carefully took it back, taking my left arm. She slid it all the way to my upper arm, letting go. "It's magic," she said playfully. "It'll grow as you do."

"What is it?"

"It's a nature stone. It'll let you literally _bend_ the elements."

"The elements?"

She smiled. "Water, wind, earth… fire… and everything created by them: ice, mud, blah, blah." She laughed. My mother always had a way of bringing light to every situation. She grasped that habit from Father, though that was passed down through blood to me. I was born with that habit. It's come in handy a lot lately.

I giggled. "You have one, too, don't you, Mommy?"

She nodded, pointing to the piece of fine jewelry hanging around her neck. It wasn't exactly something you would see on a commoner; a silver metal chain holding a large nature stone pendant. Though, it only made her that much more beautiful.

"Wow…"

I never questioned why we had such an extraordinary piece of sorcery. I still haven't to this day, but maybe I should start…

ooo

The darkness returned the stone step under my feet. I couldn't speak, but my thoughts echoed around me.

Why don't I remember any of this?

I know my mother gave me the stone, and I remember Mother telling me about Father's disappearance. What I don't remember is any of the vivid details.

I don't remember my father's name, but I might know it now.

Ryuu…

Ryuu.

Ryuu!

Oh, my God!


	14. Puppet

**I didn't lie, I swear. :] I'm working on my InuYasha story right now. I'll get back to Captured right after this, since I'm very inspired at the moment. Anyway, back to Sesshy's PoV. The beginning chapter will take place while Mai was unconscious in the last chapter.**

ooo

"Mai?!" I shouted, running through his castle in a blur. What was I looking for? Mai? Of course, but who knows if it would really be Mai. There were too many variables… There was only one way to know for sure…

"SESSHOMARU!" came an alarming voice, echoing down the elegant halls.

My hand slipped easily through and produced a hole in a sheet of rice paper. It was Mai's shrill voice. Something was wrong. I jerked my head in the direction of her voice, finding her to be very… defiant. She had something of a crystal bow in her hands, glowing brightly in contrast with her eyes.

Her head held something that seemed like a tiara a stone centered above and in between her eyes. The stone looked similar to the one set in her armband. In fact, the tiara looked like the one Ryuu wore!

Her eyes were glowing bright, her face covered in a wall of anger.

I bolted towards her, coming to an immediate stop only inches before the girl. "Since when do you call me 'Sesshomaru'?" I didn't trust her, unknowing if it was Mai. There was a demonic sense to her, not human at all. What seemed even stranger is that the large, and _recent,_ injury over her eye was _gone_. Entirely gone.

"Get away from me, Sesshomaru," she growled, her voice quite monotone and lifeless. She wasn't so childish, as I'd known her.

I took a grip on the glowing bow in her left hand, wondering what kind of ammunition she could possibly use. "You're no threat to me."

The girl stomped her foot, and I was instantly encased in a fort of solid earth, my hand no longer attached to her bow. Though in another instant, the earth was shattered by a deafening bolt of lightning.

My hair was blown back, bits and pieces of the dirt and dust landing on my shoulders and in my hair. I squinted, protecting my eyes from the debris. "What are you doing?!" I shouted, questioning the young girl.

I had to reach her, come in contact with her. The only way to see if she was truly Mai…

She couldn't escape me. No matter what kind of speed she had, I was always faster. I appeared before her again, this time, immobilizing both her arms. Mai had a large scar on her back, one I hadn't thought to wrap when I'd returned for her. It scarred over. That was the only thing I could think of to identify Mai. Looks at first glance were easy to replicate.

I pulled her arms behind her back. I couldn't see her face when the crystal bow shattered on the ground as it fell from her grasp. I had full control now of everything but her feet. First, I tried removing the tiara from her head, but it wouldn't budge. I didn't suspect any less.

Mai looked innocently over her shoulder toward me, tears in her eyes. That's when I noticed something different. Her pupils were missing; pure irises, nothing more. Mai was being used as a puppet—if this truly was Mai.

Mai struggled, her head hanging low as she tried to pull her arms forward, kicking her legs here and there.

"Stand still, damn it!" I shouted. I held her arms together, pulling the collar of her kimono down to see her back. The scar… It wasn't there. That didn't necessarily mean this wasn't Mai, but it sure didn't mean it was a true identifier any longer. The gash on her face was missing, so I couldn't rule out the fact that the scar may have disappeared along with it.

Mai was able to spin around and face me, once my grasp had lessened from the shock of the missing scar. I kept her from moving, grasping each of her upper arms. Mai's face was expressionless, unmoving, unfeeling.

"Who are you?" I asked dryly.

"You're all alone," she responded, just as lifeless.

"I'm faster than you," I retorted.

"I'm cunning."

"You're short."

"You're a dog. Woof." There was a smile.

I growled. "Dogs bite."

"You're getting nowhere."

"No, I'm stalling." I smiled.

"The more time you waste, the more fatalities you'll encounter."

I laughed. "Such big words for such a feeble-minded young girl."

"So idiotic. I thought dogs were supposed to be a smart species. Oh wait… you're related to that mutt, aren't you? Must be in the genes," she rolled her eyes.

I blinked. Mai knows nothing of my brother, InuYasha. This wasn't Mai… Meaning I don't have to hold back! I spun Mai back around and kicked her, pushing her to the ground. Mai was back up in an instant. "If you tell me who you are, I won't kill you! _Yet_," I muttered the variable.

She pouted, her eyes wide and childish as they filled with tears. She turned her head and pushed herself off the ground slowly. "But, Sesshy…," she whined. "It's me, Mai…" She curled her arms close to her chest, turning to face me. Tears rolled down her porcelain white cheeks.

My heart stopped dead. Who… was this? I couldn't hurt her. I couldn't hurt… whoever it was. I didn't have it in me to hurt her, to hurt someone who may just look like the one I love. I found it hard to breathe, or even move. My fear was that it truly was Mai… and I could only stand here and take the damage Mai as a puppet was dealing out. What could I do?

Mai took this vulnerability to escape, forcing herself into the sky with a blast of air, hovering just overhead. She reached out into dead space, her bow slowly regenerating in her hand, a feat I didn't imagine possible by Mai.

Mai laughed, her eyes now completely void of life. The child I once new, the irrational, unconditionally loving young woman was missing from those silver irises I'd grown accustom to. She drew back the string on the bow and it flexed, the solid composure took on an almost liquid state, held together by flowing energy. Electricity crackled between the string and the grip, growing only as Mai let it. Soon, the bolt of lightning shot off toward me.

I had to move. I had to find the strength and the will to move. Thankfully, I did. That lightning bolt would not only kill what it hit, but about a six foot radius as well, sending thousands of volts through whatever its target was.

Luckily, I would not be a victim this time. _This time…_

My natural instinct would be to fight back, and I couldn't even do that.

Then, suddenly, Mai's arms fell to her side. There was a visible and distinct change between then and her disposition now. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, her hands raising to her face. Mai let out a shrill scream, doubling over to the ground.

I rushed over to her in an instant. If something was wrong, Mai or not, I was going to help. I couldn't do anything less.

"No, no, no, no! Not you! Please, not you!" she screamed, crying. She shook her buried face furiously, obsessing over something.

I knelt by her, just watching, wondering.

"Not now… You did this!" She sat up quickly, an accusing finger shooting out in an undefined direction. Who was she pointing to. "You ruined my life! You killed Mommy! Your own wife!" She trembled, clutching her sides as she sobbed loudly.

I reached out a hand but quickly pulled it back, deciding against it.

"Sesshomaru?!" she screamed again, louder now than she ever had. It was as if she didn't even know I was there.

I reacted then. This was Mai, under the influence of whoever this dark sorcerer was. I reached out my hand again and rested it on her back. "Mai, Mai, you have to stop screaming." She'd awaken from whatever spell she was under, for whatever reason which was still unclear.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, shoving my hand aside. "You did this! You… get away… get away from me!"

It didn't seem as if she was talking to me, aside from the demand for me to take my hand off of her. Who was she talking to, then? That's when it was clear. Ryuu. But what did she mean by he killed her mother? His own wife…?

…

There's no way this man is Mai's father.

There isn't a drop of demonic blood in her system!

No…


End file.
